Chapter seven Biography of Zudi(10)

But Zu Ti was a ruthless man. He didn't hold back. He went up with some people.
"Zu Ti still crossed the river with more than 100 boats in the middle stream and vowed," Zu Ti is like a river that cannot clear the central plains and restore the waters. "His magnificent words were lamented by many people. Tuen in Jiangyin, smelting weapons, more than 2,000 men and advanced. "According to ancient records, Zu Ti led his troops to cross the Yangtze River at the beginning of the northern expedition. When the ship reached the middle stream, he looked at the river rolling east in front of him and was filled with emotion. Thinking of the scene of the broken mountains and rivers and the people being burned, thinking of the difficult situation and the anger of the unextended ambition, he struck the boat with pride and a surge of blood, and vowed, "Zu Ti can not clear the central plains and restore the economy, just like the river"! He meant that if he could not pacify the central plains and regain the lost land, he would be like the great river. Later generations used "the middle stream to attack the oar" as a metaphor to aspire to do well.