As far as the title is concerned, it is obviously inappropriate to write it this way, especially when it comes to history, and no joke can be made at all. However, although Empress Dowager Xiao and Cao Xueqin are hundreds of years apart, they are closely related to one place, and this place is Zhangjiawan, Tongzhou, located in southeast Beijing.

Let's first talk about Empress Dowager Xiao. I believe everyone will be familiar with it. A drama series "Yan Yuntai" that has become popular across the country has given young people a little relevant understanding of this "controversial" character in history and that period of history. The series positively shows the story of Empress Dowager Xiao, relying on her willfulness, intelligence, daring character, and far-sighted vision, and with the joint efforts of Han Derang, Yeluxian and others, pushing Da Liao onto the road to prosperity. But when older people talk about Empress Dowager Xiao in "The Romance of the Yang Family","all the loyal Yang Family Generals" regard Empress Dowager Xiao as their sworn enemy and are almost wiped out by Empress Dowager Xiao! However, whether it be storytelling or romance, they all deviate from some real history. But as far as Zhangjiawan is concerned, Empress Dowager Xiao has indeed made an indispensable contribution!

There are different versions of legends about the origin of the name Xiao Empress River. Legend has it that when Empress Dowager Xiao was leading an army to attack the Northern Song Dynasty, when she passed through the suburbs of today's Beijing, all her soldiers were thirsty. Empress Dowager Xiao raised her whip and pointed at it, and a clear and sweet river water appeared in front of her. All the soldiers cheered and drank hard to quench their thirst. Later generations called this river the Empress Dowager Xiao River. It is also said that Empress Dowager Xiao once led her army to be stationed outside Nanjing for a long time. Due to a lack of water, the combat effectiveness of the army was suddenly reduced. People finally found a clear but nameless river in despair. Empress Dowager Xiao was very happy and issued an order to name it after her...

In the mouth of the Zhangjiawan Museum and the commentators, it seems that some answers can be vaguely found. Although there is no trace in the official history, there are some accounts in the notes of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. People know from the notes that the Empress Dowager Xiao River began in the sixth year of Tonghe (Liao year title), which was the period of Empress Dowager Xiao's regency. As the first manually dug canal project, she will definitely do it herself. After the successful excavation of the canal, it should be natural to name it as Empress Dowager Xiao River. In fact, whether or not the Empress Dowager Xiao River was dug by Empress Dowager Xiao, at least it was used for military water supply and grain transportation and supply in the capital at that time. The excavation of this artificial river still had positive significance.

With the development of waterway transportation, as an important node in the water transportation of the Grand Canal, the Zhangjiawan Water Transport Terminal, known as the "confluence of four rivers", gradually gained vitality. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a large-scale town had been formed here. With rows of shops and merchants from all over the world, it was a prosperous scene. In this regard, Zhangjiawan City has an extraordinary status, so there is the saying that "Zhangjiawan first and then Tongzhou City". The grand scene of "Wanzhou Pianji" was one of the "Eight Scenes of Tongzhou" at that time.

Today's Zhangjiawan and Xiaohou River look really lonely but a little lonely. Compared with Shichahai, which is also the end point of the water transport terminal on the Grand Canal, today they have become a place for Internet celebrities to check in. The world is a world of difference! It may also be due to the protection of cultural relics that the Yuntong Bridge is basically displayed in its original appearance, but we can see the deep ruts on the bridge deck, which locals call the Empress Dowager Bridge (Yuntong Bridge), which shows the grand occasion of the past, as well as the vicissitudes in front of us, and the sense of loneliness and desolation in front of us.

Next, let's talk about Cao Xueqin, who is more shocking and inseparable from Zhangjiawan. This earth-shattering discovery was all because of a tombstone being excavated here! The name engraved on this tombstone is none other than "Cao Gong's tomb Renwu" and the original name of cultural giant Cao Xueqin is "Cao Zhan"!

In the winter of 1968, there was a major battle for land leveling. Zhangjiawan Village is responsible for the front line north of Xiaohou River and south of Huazhuang. The project progressed to... the intersection of the four sides, namely the Caojiafen area. Li Jingzhu, a member of the village, found a blue tombstone one meter underground. This is the stone tablet engraved with the inscription "Cao Gong Zhi Zhan Mu Ren Wu" in the above picture. Li Jingzhu presented the tomb stone in 1992. This discovery immediately triggered a shock in the red and archaeological circles at that time.

Although there is still fierce controversy in the red medicine circles about the authenticity of the stone inscriptions on Cao Xueqin's tomb, the only thing that can explain the reason for this story must be the dilapidated and surviving old city wall standing alone on the bank of Empress Dowager Xiao's Grain Transport River.

It has to be said that Zhangjiawan is an ancient town that rose due to water transport, but its humanistic history goes far beyond water transport. Canal culture, ancient city culture and Cao Xueqin's "Dream of the Red Chamber" culture all have countless origins.

I believe that with the successful application of the Grand Canal for cultural heritage and the changes of the times, the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt will never stop. The present and future of Zhangjiawan will surely show the world a deeper cultural heritage. The future Zhangjiawan will become more and more beautiful!