A Rider in Red Dust Makes the Concubine Smile

The Litchi Road is famous for its legendary color, but among the roads in Sichuan and Shaanxi, it is still a relatively unimportant road due to the topographical and economic conditions along the route.

Yang Guifei loved eating lychees. After the interpretation of the late Tang poet Du Mu, when people mention Yang Guifei and lychees, they always remember his famous line: "A horseman rides through the dusty world, and the concubine smiles. No one knows that it is the lychees coming."

This story is also recorded in the official history. "The New Book of Tang Dynasty·Biography of Yang Guifei" says: "The concubine loved lychees, and wanted to have them served raw, so she set up a post to deliver them. The journey covered thousands of miles, and the taste had not changed when they arrived at the capital." The historical events in the second half of Xuanzong's reign are also known to everyone, "The drums of Yuyang shook the earth, startling the dancers in their colorful costumes and feathered robes." Sending tribute from thousands of miles away and winning the favor of beauties became a major manifestation of Xuanzong's abuse of state resources and neglect of state affairs. So, where did lychees come from? How many thousands of miles did they travel? Several vague details in historical materials have become important bases for later generations to judge the degree of Xuanzong's stupidity.

Where did the lychees that the imperial concubine ate come from?

Historian Yan Gengwang once deliberately arranged and compared the records of the Tang and Song dynasties and found an interesting phenomenon: the Tang people mostly said that lychees came from Lingnan, while the records after the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty mostly said that lychees came from Fuzhou, Sichuan (now Fuling District, Chongqing).

Litchi is a southern fruit that is grown in abundance in Lingnan, as recorded in earlier historical records.

At the beginning of the Western Han Dynasty, the Nanyue King Wei Tuo presented shark and lychee to Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and Liu Bang gave him four pieces of rambutan brocade in return. In 111 BC, Emperor Wu of Han defeated the Nanyue Kingdom and built the Fuli Palace in Chang'an. He moved hundreds of lychee trees from Jiaozhi and planted them in the courtyard. However, the water and heat conditions in Guanzhong are not suitable for the growth of litchi. It is said that no litchi grew in the lychee forest of Fuli Palace, but the royal family still transplanted them year after year. It was rare that a plant grew lush branches and leaves, but ultimately failed to bear fruit.

The royal family built the Fuli Palace, and although no lychees survived, they still transplanted the trees year after year. The lychees all over the garden were a display of power over the southern land. The Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Chronicle of Emperor Xiaohe, also records that "In the old days, people from the South China Sea offered longan and lychee, with a station every ten miles and a guard every five miles. They rushed through dangerous roads and even died on the way." Litchi is a symbol of Lingnan, and Lingnan is so far away from Chang'an in Guanzhong. The people have to travel thousands of miles to pay tribute, which is a constant burden. In the minds of the Tang people, the lychees eaten by the imperial concubine came from Lingnan, which not only fits the geographical location of lychees, but the story of their long-distance tribute and the damage to the people's strength also fits the intention of people at that time to satirize the government. However, litchi has a characteristic - it is not easy to preserve. Bai Juyi said in "Preface to the Lychee Picture": The fruit "if separated from the branch, its color will change in one day, its fragrance will change in two days, its taste will change in three days, and its color, fragrance and taste will all be gone after four or five days." According to the speed of the post horses, it was impossible for the fresh lychees from Lingnan to reach Chang'an within four or five days. Therefore, the lychees eaten by the imperial concubine must have come from somewhere else.

When Mr. Yan Gengwang checked the historical materials of the Song Dynasty, he found an old record quoted in "Yu Di Ji Sheng" which said: "Princess Yang loved raw lychees, so she ordered the express to go from Fuling, via Dazhou, to Xixiang, and enter Ziwu Valley. It took only three days to reach Chang'an, and the color and fragrance of the lychees were not changed. The "Fuzhou Records" said that it took seven days to reach Chang'an, which is different." Roughly calculated, this distance is about 2,000 miles. According to the Tang Dynasty's express post's daily travel limit of 500 miles, it is not ridiculous to reach Chang'an in three to seven days.

Can we trust the lychees grown in Shu?

Lychee, as a typical southern fruit, is currently mainly produced in Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian. Only Hejiang County, Luzhou, Sichuan, still has large-scale production. So, what was the situation of lychee production in Sichuan during the Tang Dynasty?

Professor Lan Yong of Southwest Normal University has conducted a detailed investigation into the cultivation and distribution of lychees in Sichuan throughout history. During the Tang and Song dynasties, there are records of litchi cultivation in the river valley areas of Chengdu, Chongqing, Yibin, Luzhou, Fuling, Leshan, Wanxian and Ya'an south of 31 degrees north latitude. Among them, Yibin, Luzhou, Leshan and Fuling, located south of 30 degrees north latitude, have the largest output and the best quality. Among these four places, the lychees from Yibin and Luzhou are the most famous. It can be seen that the distribution of litchi in Sichuan region in history showed obvious latitudinal bands.

The growth of lychees requires basic heat conditions. Emperor Wu of Han transplanted lychees from Lingnan in batches to the Fuli Palace in Chang'an, which was only wishful thinking that went against the nature of the plants. Historical climate research shows that the Tang Dynasty was a warm period in China, with a climate warmer than today. During the Tang Dynasty, the distribution of lychees in Sichuan was basically along the northern boundary of lychee growth. Therefore, historical records of the Song Dynasty began to reveal that the lychees eaten by the imperial concubine came from Fuling, which was not groundless and violated the nature of the plant. According to Volume 120 of Taiping Huanyu Ji, which was written in the early Northern Song Dynasty, the Fuling area was called "Fuzhou" during the Tang and Song dynasties, and its subordinate Lewen County "produced a lot of lychees, and their taste was better than that of other mountains." Lewen County no longer exists, and its former site was in the Changshou Lake area of ​​Changshou District, Chongqing City. It is also mentioned in the Records of Geography that fifteen miles west of Fuzhou City, there is a concubine garden where "more than a hundred lychee trees are planted. The fruits are plump and plump, and are loved by Concubine Yang of the Tang Dynasty. 'A horseman comes by in red dust, and the concubine smiles. No one knows that it is the lychees coming.' This is what it means."

Finding the way: How do lychees get to Chang'an?

Both Lewen County and Feiziyuan generally point to the area from the western part of Fuling District to Changshou District of Chongqing City today. To understand how the lychees here were transported to Chang'an by express horse, we first need to understand the topography and transportation between Sichuan and Shaanxi.

The interior of the Sichuan Basin is not entirely smooth. With the north-south running Longquan Mountain and Huaying Mountain as the boundary, the Sichuan Basin can be divided into three geographical units from west to east.

To the west of Longquan Mountain is the famous western Sichuan plain, also known as the western Sichuan basin. This is a fan-shaped plain formed by alluvial deposits from the Minjiang River and other rivers. It has a flat surface, fertile soil, and dense rivers and canals. It is the most economically developed area in Sichuan, and Chengdu is located in it. Between Longquan Mountain and Huaying Mountain are the hills in central Sichuan. The surface rock types in this area are complex, with the Jialing River, the Fu River, the Tuo River and their tributaries forming a dense web here, eroding and cutting the surface into hills of various sizes and shapes. To the east of Huaying Mountain are the parallel ridges and valleys of eastern Sichuan. The landform here is very distinctive. More than 10 northeast-southwest mountain ranges are neatly arranged in parallel in the eastern and southeastern edges of the Sichuan Basin, starting from the southern foot of Daba Mountain in the north and ending at the northern side of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the south, forming a circle structure. Among them, from west to east, the three most important mountain ranges are Huaying Mountain, Tongluo Mountain and Mingyue Mountain. Lewen County of Fuzhou, which was rich in lychees during the Tang Dynasty, is now the area from the western part of Fuling District to Changshou District of Chongqing City, located on the east side of the southern end of Mingyue Mountain.

The northern end of the parallel ridge and valley in eastern Sichuan is connected to the southern foot of Daba Mountain. The Daba Mountains run from east to west, with the Qinling Mountains to the north, which are roughly parallel to it. The Qinba Mountain area starts from the Jialing River in the west and ends at the Funiushan Mountains in the east, stretching for more than 800 kilometers from east to west and more than 300 kilometers from north to south. The peaks are mostly around 2,000 meters high, forming a huge barrier between the Guanzhong Plain and the Sichuan Basin. To cross the Qinling Mountains, one cannot force one's way to the top of the mountain, but must flexibly utilize the favorable terrain conditions. The terrain of the Qinling Mountains is steep in the north and gentle in the south. The northern slope belongs to the Wei River Basin, and the southern slope belongs to the Han River Basin. However, no river can cut through the Qinling Mountains. Therefore, the road that crosses the Qinling Mountains needs to rely on a river valley with close water sources on both sides of the watershed, corresponding north and south slopes, and a long course.

As early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Sichuan-Shaanxi Passages crossing the Qinling Mountains were basically formed, with a total of four passages from west to east. Chencang Road, this road used the Jialing River Valley at the western end of the Qinling Mountains, from Baoji to Fengxian, passing Qingniling, Lueyang, Mianxian, to Hanzhong. The Baoxiade Road utilized the Xiashui River on the northern slope of the Qinling Mountains and the Baoshui River Valley on the southern slope. It started from Mei County, passed through Taibai County, and ended in Hanzhong. The Tangluo Road uses the Luo River on the northern slope of the Qinling Mountains and the Tangshui River Valley on the southern slope. It starts from Zhouzhi, passes through Huayang County and Yang County, and reaches Hanzhong. The Ziwu Road runs from the south of Xi'an along the Fenghe Valley, through the Ziwu Valley of the Qinling Mountains, through Ningshan County and Yang County, and reaches Hanzhong. The Hanzhong Basin is the hub of four roads crossing the Qinling Mountains.

However, from Guanzhong to Sichuan, one has only crossed the Qinling Mountains so far, and still needs to cross the Daba Mountains. There are three passages through Daba Mountains. From west to east, they are Jiange Road, Migang Road and Yangba Road. The exits of these three roads on the southern slope of Daba Mountain roughly correspond to the three geographical units of the Sichuan Basin mentioned above: the western Sichuan plain, the central Sichuan hills, and the parallel ridges and valleys in eastern Sichuan. Jiange Road passes through Jiange and Mianyang and goes to Chengdu. Migang Road passes through Bazhong, Pingchang, and goes to Quxian and Hechuan. The Yangba Road passes through Wanyuan and Daxian, and goes to Chongqing and Fuling. Therefore, if lychees produced in the parallel ridge and valley area of ​​eastern Sichuan were to be transported north to Guanzhong, they would have to take the easternmost group of routes in the Qinba Mountain area - the Ziwu Road and the Yangba Road.

The opening of the Yangba Road at the southern foot of Daba Mountain is in Xuanhan County, Dazhou, which is roughly located at the northern end of Tongluo Mountain in the parallel valley of eastern Sichuan. Therefore, if the lychees in the west of Fuling, east of the southern end of Mingyue Mountain, want to enter the Yangba Road via Xuanhan, they must at least cross Mingyue Mountain. However, the mountain ranges running parallel to the valleys in eastern Sichuan are mostly around 700 to 1,000 meters above sea level and are not easy to cross. Therefore, the export of Fuzhou Lewen lychees was initially carried out northward along Mingyue Mountain. The S102 Provincial Road at the eastern foot of Mingyue Mountain runs between Mingyue Mountain and the Longxi River Valley, through Dianjiang County, through the eastern part of Liangping County, at Renshi Town, Kaijiang County, connecting with the S202 Provincial Road, and reaching Jiangzhi Town, Kaijiang County.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty, Kaijiang County was named Xinning County, and the county seat was near Jiangzhi Town. Jiangzhi Town is roughly located at the northern end of Mingyue Mountain. When you get here, you will bypass Mingyue Mountain and enter the valley between Mingyue Mountain and Tongluo Mountain. At the northern end of Tongluo Mountain, between Mingyue Mountain, there is a parallel fold mountain range about 60 kilometers long, called Qilixia Mountain. Xuanhan County, the entrance to Yangba Road, is on the west side of Qilixia Mountain. If litchi is to be transported to Xuanhan, it is necessary to find a passage through Qilixia Mountain. The Xinning River in Kaijiang County is a river that cuts through the Qilixia Mountains. From Huilong Town, Kaijiang County to Qili Township, Xuanhan County, follow the Xinning River Valley to enter Xuanhan County. There is a Zhou River in Xuanhan County. The river originates from Daba Mountain and flows south to Dazhou, hence the name Zhou River. From Xuanhan County, along the Zhou River Valley, you can reach Zhouluojiang Town, then turn onto National Highway G210. From here, you officially enter the old Yangba Road that crossed the Daba Mountains.

From Yangba Road to the north, through Wanyuan, Zhenba, Xixiang, to Yang County, we successfully crossed the Daba Mountains. Starting from Yang County, take Ningshan County, continue along National Highway G210, pass Xunyangba Town, Guanghuojie Town, exit Fengyuko, and reach Ziwu Town. You will successfully cross the Qinling Mountains and arrive at the Guanzhong Plain. At this point, the city of Xi'an is within reach. It can be said that the section of G210 National Highway crossing the Daba Mountains is roughly equivalent to the old Yangba Road, and the section crossing the Qinling Mountains is roughly equivalent to the old Ziwu Road.

From the above, we can see that the Litchi Road during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang started from the Changshou Lake in Changshou District of Chongqing City today, and generally followed the S102 and S202 provincial roads, heading north along Mingyue Mountain. Go to Jiangzhi Town, Kaijiang County, and then go west around Mingyue Mountain. Use the Xinning River in Kaijiang County, cross the Qilixia Mountain, and enter Xuanhan County. Along Zhouhe River in Xuanhan County, turn into G210 National Highway at Luojiang Town, Dazhou, cross Daba Mountains and Qinling Mountains, and arrive at Guanzhong Plain. The whole journey is about 1,800 miles. Along the way, there are obstacles such as the parallel fold mountains of eastern Sichuan and the Qinba Mountains. Instead of forcing a crossing, the Litchi Road cleverly uses natural river valleys to overcome these obstacles.

Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, is located in the northeast of the Sichuan Basin. On the map, it can be clearly seen that Lewen, Fuzhou, is basically located in the northeast corner of the stable lychee production area of ​​Sichuan during the Tang Dynasty. Due to biological species restrictions, lychees can no longer grow northwards. Restricted by the steep Wushan Mountains, Sichuan lychees are also unable to expand eastwards. In terms of spatial location, this is the lychee producing area closest to Chang'an. From this point of view, the Tang Dynasty's choice of fresh lychees from Fuzhou as tribute was not a random decision, but was based on careful considerations of feasibility.

Litchi Road, although famous, is relatively minor

Because of the story of "A Rider in Red Dust Made the Concubine Smile", Litchi Road has attracted special attention among the roads in Sichuan and Shaanxi, but its true status needs to be further explained here. Judging from historical facts since the Han and Tang Dynasties, among the four routes crossing the Qinling Mountains, Chencang Road and Baoxiade Road are the most important. The Baoxiade Road is relatively short and convenient, and is most commonly used in peacetime. Although the Chencang Road is long and circuitous, it is relatively flat and has the convenience of water transportation, so it is highly valued during wartime. Although Tangluo Road and Ziwu Road opened on the northern slope of Qinling Mountains and were closer to Xi'an, they were far less important than Chencang Road and Baoxiade Road because of the long waterless zone between the north and south slopes and inconvenient transportation. During the Tang Dynasty, among the four roads crossing the Qinling Mountains, the least used one was the Ziwu Road, also known as the Litchi Road.

The three routes through Daba Mountain have different historical status, and their importance is related to the economic conditions of the three geographical units in the Sichuan Basin that are connected to them. Jiange Road, connecting Chengdu, is the most important. Migang Road connects Bazhong and has the second highest status. Yangbadao connects Xuanhan and Dazhou, and its economic status is not as high as the first two regions. In addition, the section where the Yangba Road crosses the Daba Mountains has a high watershed, a long section without water, and the road conditions are not as good as the previous two roads. Naturally, the importance of the Yangba Road is not superior. Therefore, it can be said that the Litchi Road is famous for its legendary color, but among the roads in Sichuan and Shaanxi, it is still a relatively minor road due to the geographical and economic conditions along the route.