The ancients sent letters and things to the emperor and rode horses for "three hundred miles" every day. There is even a record that "Sanma rode thousands of miles day and night".
At that time, litchi could only be kept fresh for three days. The poet Bai Juyi (772-846) said, "When litchi leaves this branch, its color changes one day, its fragrance changes two days, and its taste changes three days". When it is mature, it will take 17 or 8 days, and it will be shipped to Chang' an and Luoyang in 5 or 6 days at the earliest, and it will rot.
Now with the MRT county, you can keep it fresh and sealed with ice, but it can only be kept fresh for three or four days.
However, the ancients had good preservation methods.
A, bamboo tube preservation:
"Saw a big fresh bamboo tube, cut a hole, put litchi, and then seal it with mud and bamboo (bamboo shoot) skin. It can be hidden in winter and spring, and its color and taste remain unchanged." ⑤
2. Preservation of wax and honey:
Cut off the stem of litchi (the part where the fruit is connected with the stem), seal it with wax, and then soak it in honey water, and the taste will not change for several months.
Three, water transportation, circulation preservation:
Litchi trees are planted in pots with roots, and transported by water from Nanhai and Xiangyang (now Hubei) to Shangzhou (now Shaanxi) for landing, and then the litchi fruits are picked and transported to Chang 'an over Qinling Mountains. ⑦
As for how Yang Guifei ate litchi for fresh-keeping transportation, there is no historical record, but it is speculated that the above fresh-keeping methods were adopted.
At that time, many policemen and horses were exhausted during the emergency and heavy transportation. So the poet Du Fu (7 12-770) said:
"Recalling the ambassador's past, Pentium offered litchi.
Hundreds of horses died in the valley, and they are still sad. "⑧
Note: ① Biography of Yang Guifei in the New Tang Dynasty and Supplement to Tang Shi.
② The South China Sea is 5447 miles from Chang 'an and 4900 miles from Luoyang. See Old Tang Book171page.
(3) "sikuquanshu" volume 646, page 3.
(4) Preface of Litchi Map.
⑤ The Continuation of Sikuquanshu (volume116), page 36, page 252.
⑧ "Sick Orange Poetry", on "Complete Tang Poetry".
According to the medical book, litchi is very effective in treating toothache: "Burn a litchi shell thoroughly, grind it into powder and wipe your teeth." Sikuquanshu, Volume 749, page 24.
Fresh lychees can also be used for brewing wine, which blooms every other year and smells fragrant.
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? 20 10 On May 25th, Fen Xu wrote in the special reading room of Nanjing Jinling Library.