When I was studying this poem, I saw the extravagant scenery of the imperial city and the absurdity and willingness of the emperor to smile for beauty. Now Ma Boyong shows us the origin and cost of "Princess Laughter" from another angle, which really makes people cry.
Li Shande, the hero, is a small official with nine kinds of sesame seeds. After 28 years of hard work in officialdom, he finally bought a yard with a loan in the outer suburbs of Chang' an and got a place. Before the enthusiasm of getting the title deed passed, the Shanghai Forestry Department, which was called to handle affairs, was absently robbed of a hot potato-transporting litchi from Lingnan to Chang 'an to celebrate the birthday of the imperial concubine, and was called the "litchi messenger".
At that time, many people got rich by this kind of position similar to "so-and-so envoy". After all, they work for the emperor, and the funds do not need to be approved by various departments. It can be said that it is a fat difference outside the three realms and not among the five elements. Li Deshan didn't want to make much money at first, but in this way, paying off the mortgage is one thing.
But I didn't know that the imperial edict said "fresh" litchi, and it was also indicated that it was for Lingnan. Lingnan belongs to Guangzhou, five or six thousand miles away from Chang 'an. Even if it is sent in 800 times, it will not catch up. The shelf life of fresh litchi is extremely short, no more than three or four days. When Lao Li was disheartened, he was encouraged to hear a poem by Du Fu: Even if I fail, I want to know how far I am from the finish line.
So I rode a horse myself, went out of the city gate, crossed Baqiao Bridge and headed for Lingnan. At this point, the story between him and litchi preservation and transportation began.
He is a national operator. Although he is only a small official with a sesame seed divided into nine grades, he is confident in his careful calculation. All the way south, while surveying the terrain, while calculating the transit time and transportation mode. When I arrived in Lingnan, I went to the base to investigate the habits and cultivation of litchi. In this process, I encountered a lot of troubles, but in order to survive, I can only kill God without conscience, and Buddha blocks Buddha.
Just as he took the transportation plan back to Chang 'an with his last breath, he didn't want the fruits of his labor to be stolen, and the hearts of officialdom were unpredictable. A small sesame official is just a small chess piece.
Later, I used the transportation mode provided by Lao Li to overcome all kinds of accidents and difficulties on the way, and sent two baskets of lychees on the birthday of the imperial concubine. Twenty rides were prepared when starting from Lingnan, and finally only one rode into the gate of Chang 'an.
It stands to reason that Li Shande contributed a lot, but everything he experienced in the process of transporting litchi this time also made him understand. It's a waste of people and money just to win a smile. This smile is far more than a thousand dollars, and the money has to be collected from the people.
They don't care how much labor they used, how many horses died, and how many people worked hard for it along the way; For people far away from the litchi base, they don't care how many years a litchi tree will grow; They don't care that trees are like relatives of growers; They also don't care how much money they spent, how much money they spent, how much transportation fee they left, and how much money they spent on average to buy a litchi and send it to Chang' an and put it on the fruit bowl ... because all this has nothing to do with their superiors. These visible and invisible expenses are squeezed from the poor.
Tyranny is fiercer than a tiger. For ordinary people, high taxes are more hateful than fatuous county officials. The fatuous county magistrate misjudged the case at most and killed a good man by mistake, but the exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous fees overwhelmed every ordinary family.
As the saying goes, "Every great soldier, every king admired by the world, stands on a pile of bones. However, some people die a fair death. After all, they died for the justice in this heart. Men are ambitious and drunk on the battlefield. They have fought several wars since ancient times. But what is this behavior of riding on the world of mortals just to laugh? If the people know about it, it's strange not to rise up.
In ancient times, history was mostly written from the perspective of superiors. Also, winners are entitled to write history. However, in this "Litchi in Chang 'an", Ma Boyong chose a perspective of the bottom people, revealing to us the official appearance of "being an official for generations, a bald head"; Since ancient times, how many people have risked their lives to take Shangguan Road and read at night; How many people can serve the people and the country in Do not forget your initiative mind after becoming an official? It is difficult to be an official, it is even harder to be a good official, and it is even harder to be a good official and keep your job.
There is a saying in Wei Guogong's book: Process is a rule that only the weak should abide by.
In the era of the supremacy of imperial power, most of the weak do not have much right to speak, because blood determines everything, and blood determines heaven. However, since ancient times, some people still believe that man can conquer nature. Since you can't help the world and don't want to go with the flow, you choose to be alone. We can't wipe out traitors, punish corruption and save the country and the people. At least, we can choose not to participate. You can't control others, but you can still control yourself.
Just like Li Shande, he lost his career and was banished to Lingnan because of his meticulous advice to Wang Wei. Since then, I have returned to my aunt's litchi plantation with my wife and children, working at sunrise and resting at sunset. Litchi, which can only be eaten by the holy one and the imperial concubine in Chang 'an city, can be eaten as much as you want here. There is no intrigue, no intrigue, no walking on thin ice, only idyllic leisure and family happiness.
Some people are not suitable for being an official at all, and sometimes, some people are not allowed to be an official at all. But we still have to believe that there will always be a prosperous day, and there will also be a day when women are dizzy. I love the prosperity of China, and one day, I will let those who are haunted get their wishes.