What is the reason for the saying "Yang Yi Er"? !

"Yang Yi Er" means that Yangzhou is in the first place and Yizhou is in the second place. This is a compliment to the prosperity of Yangzhou and Yizhou in the late Tang Dynasty. The prosperity of Yangzhou and Yizhou is manifested in the economy. This is different from Chang 'an and Luoyang. As metropolises, Chang 'an and Luoyang have political factors, but they are both political metropolises. Yang Heyi is an economic city. More specifically, Chang 'an was the political center and Yangzhou was the economic center, which was quite different. Although "Yang Yi Er" was popular in the late Tang Dynasty, Erzhou, as an economic metropolis, has a long history. At the beginning of his reign, Yang Di yearned for Yangzhou, and the combination of Tongji Canal, Hangou, Jiangnan and Yangtze River increased the prosperity of Yangzhou. Yangzhou is located where the Han River flows into the Yangtze River, and across the river is the starting point of Jiangnan. Geographical location contributes to local prosperity. Yangtze River shipping can be traced back to Chengdu under Yizhou, and Yangzhou and Yizhou can interact and complement each other.

Transportation network centered on Yangzhou.

When discussing the water transport in Chang 'an, I quoted the records of the Tang people on the side canal, namely Tongji Canal, saying: "Self-prosperity and benefit, making friends with southern Hunan, Guangzhou and Fujian, public transport and water transport, and private business exchanges, one after another." This record can also be used as a compliment to Yangzhou. It can be said that after the Tongji Canal was completed, Yangzhou became an important waterway transportation center in China at that time. The business and water transportation of the Yangtze River and its south are concentrated in Yangzhou, and then transported to Chang 'an and Luoyang in the northwest, even through Yongji Canal, and can also be transported to Qinghe (Zhou Beizhi Institute, now Qinghe in Hebei Province) and Youzhou.

The traffic between southern Hunan, Guangzhou and Yangzhou recorded in the Tang Dynasty naturally depends on waterways. Most of the waterways originating from Nanling Mountain are divided into north and south, with no similarities. But since the Qin Dynasty dug the stone road, the Lingqu between Hunan and Lijiang has found another way. There is also a waste in the middle of the Lingqu. After many repairs in the Tang Dynasty, the great ship was still accessible. This is a rare event, which makes the ships in the north and south of Wuling unimpeded. From Lishui down, through Guizhou (now Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), down to stagnant water, you can go to Guangzhou. From Guangzhou back to Yushui, you can reach Yongzhou (now Nanning, Guangxi). There is a road from Yongzhou to Annan Daofu, which is Jiaozhou.

Although Nanling is a north-south barrier, there are also land exchanges. As mentioned earlier, the road from Chang 'an to Lantianguan to Guangzhou passes through Nanling in the north of Shaozhou (now Shaoguan, Guangdong). Han Yu was demoted to Chaozhou (now Chaozhou, Guangdong), where he crossed the ridge. From Shaozhou to the north, you can also cross Gengling to Ganzhou (now Ganzhou, Jiangxi), follow the Ganjiang River, cross Hongzhou, enter the Yangtze River and turn to Yangzhou. As mentioned earlier, the Dayuxin Road opened by Zhang Jiuling is on this road.

From Yangzhou to central Fujian, it is another road. This is from Yangzhou to Runzhou, along the south of the Yangtze River, to Hangzhou. This is the end of Jiangnan. From Hangzhou to Zhejiang, you can go through Zhou Mu (now Jiande East, Zhejiang) and Quzhou (now Quzhou, Zhejiang) to Jianzhou (now Jian 'ou, Fujian) and Fuzhou (now Fuzhou, Fujian). Jianzhou and Fuzhou are both in the middle of Fujian. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao attacked Xuanzhou in the south and led troops into eastern Zhejiang. Open the mountain road for 700 miles and attack Fujian. From Xuanzhou to eastern Zhejiang, I don't know why. Wuzhou and Quzhou are counties in eastern Zhejiang. Huang Chao has been to at least two states. The mountain road opened is said to be on Xianxialing in the south of Quzhou. The road on Xianxialing used to be a thoroughfare from north to south. It should be pointed out that the mountain road opened in Huang Chao is only a road reconstruction. There's another way. The records of Yuanhe period in Tang Xianzong clearly pointed out that "Quzhou is 700 miles south of Jianzhou" is proof.

Yangzhou is close to the sea, and all coastal areas can communicate with each other through sea lanes. As mentioned earlier, the materials supplied to the northern army of Youzhou in the Tang Dynasty were transported through the side canal and Yongji Canal. Perhaps due to the diversity of materials, it is necessary to go by sea. This scene has been mentioned in Du Fu's poems. One of them said, "Yuyang is a land of heroes, and it is prosperous when attacked." Yun Fan turned to the Three Seas, and japonica rice came to practice with Chu, shining on the platform. "Then he said," You Yan is full of martial arts, and the supply is also laborious. Wumen turns to millet and silk, which is a sea-going Penglai. "Although Du Fu's poems mentioned Luo Yue and Chu Lian and Wu Men, they should all be shipped from Yangzhou.

At that time, there were several berths along the coast, Yangzhou was not one of them. A few years ago, a sunken ship of the Tang Dynasty was found in the stone bridge in the south of Yangzhou. According to its wreckage, it should be a sea ship, not a river ship. It can be seen that the maritime traffic in Yangzhou was quite developed at that time. In the first year, Tian entered Yangzhou, killing thousands of merchants and Persians, and there were many merchants and Persians in Yangzhou. There are many chapters in Taiping Guangji that record the anecdotes of Yangzhou merchants and Persians, so the record of fields is not in vain. These businessmen and Persians lived in Yangzhou in more than one way. Some of them came from the western regions through Chang 'an, and many of them came from the sea. There are so many foreign businessmen living in Yangzhou, which shows the prosperity of Yangzhou.

Because of the convenient transportation, travelers from south to north will bypass Yangzhou no matter how far away. During the Yuanhe period in Tang Xianzong, Li Ao went down to Lingnan, passed through Xiangzhou and Jiangling, and went up to Xiangjiang River without going through Lantian Pass. But he went from the side canal to the southeast, bypassed Yangzhou, and then went south, passing through Quzhou and Hongzhou. Even those who go from Chang 'an West to West Shu, some don't directly cross the Qinling Mountains and Bashan Mountains and take the dangerous plank road, but go by the side bend through Yangzhou. Tang Wei and Wei Zhuang all bypassed these canals and entered Shu. His poem "Fu Qin Yin" describes the suffering of a woman in Qin who went to Bashu during the chaos. Although displaced from place to place, it did not change course halfway. Unless this road is blocked by war, we must take another road. During the reign of Changqing in Tang Muzong, Bianzhou Army was in chaos and Bianzhou Road was blocked. At that time, Bai Juyi was appointed as the secretariat of Hangzhou, going south from Lantian to Kanto and taking Xiangzhou Road. On the way, Bai Juyi once wrote a poem: "Since the host city is impassable, it will point the finger at the south." Later, when I arrived in Hangzhou, I also said in Xie's letter of appointment: "The side branch road is impassable, so I will take Xiangyang Road to my post." His sense of urgency cannot be expressed in words. Even from Zhongshu to Hedong, some people bypass Yangzhou without passing through Liangzhou and Chang 'an. The stability of the ship is better than the fatigue of the pommel horse.

As can be seen from the above description, as the largest economic metropolis in China at that time, the surrounding traffic was quite convenient and everywhere. In fact, a national traffic network centered on this economic metropolis has been formed. The traffic network is even as dense as Chang 'an, where the capital is located. One is the political center, and the other is the economic center. The two reflect each other and are interrelated, so that the development of transportation at that time surpassed that of the previous generation.

The affluence of Yangzhou

Yangzhou is located in the Yangtze River Delta. The Yangtze River Delta was originally a fertile land. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains split and a large number of people moved south, which further promoted the economic development of the Yangtze River Delta and made Yangzhou prosperous. During the Anshi Rebellion, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River were devastated, and the originally rich agricultural areas were almost difficult to revive. Therefore, the "military expenditure" of the imperial dynasty had to be "taken to Jianghuai". At that time, people said that "today's Jianghuai is the national luck" and Yangzhou is the center of Jianghuai. Jianghuai is a rich agricultural area formed after the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and the local food supply cannot be separated from the Imperial Capital. Most of these grains were shipped to Chang 'an when Yangzhou was concentrated. Even the grain transported from Jiangnan, far away from Wuling, to Chang 'an has to pass through the gate of Yangzhou, thus increasing the quantity of grain transported from Yangzhou. Yangzhou is not only rich in grain, but also produces a lot of salt, which is found in coastal counties. Salt tax in Tang Dynasty was an important income of the imperial court. It is said that at the end of the Dali period, "salt is half the gift of the world." Yan was the most important financial official in the Tang Dynasty and was stationed in Yangzhou. When Ada was a salt and iron envoy, he set up four prisons in the salt-producing areas around Yangzhou to govern each other. It is said that the money earned every year can be "the gift of more than 100 States." The important products of Yangzhou are brocade and bronzes, and Yangzhou's mirrors are the most famous, which are made of copper. During the Tianbao period, Wei Jian presided over the grain transportation, and ships from all over the southeast came to Chang 'an with imported goods and treasures. The first ship came from Guangling County, with brocade, mirrors, bronzes and seafood produced in Guangling County. Yangzhou was then called Guangling County. Wei Jian also collects ships from other countries, and the treasure on the ship seems to be less precious than Yangzhou. It is such convenient transportation and rich products that Yangzhou became the economic center at that time. In a poem written by Zhao Wei in the Tang Dynasty, there was a line praising Yangzhou, which said, "One hundred thousand households are like caves". One hundred thousand people seem to talk a lot, but the story of the cave fully tells the feelings of Yangzhou people at that time.

Traffic and wealth in Yizhou

Yizhou, known as the land of abundance since ancient times, has the advantages of Minjiang River irrigation, not only fertile land, but also rich products. Easy transportation is also an important condition for Yizhou to become an economic metropolis. Only in this way can we "combine the strengths of land and water and take the essence of Huo Zhi". On the traffic in Yizhou, the Yangtze River should rank first. The Yangtze River is at the upstream of Yizhou, and it can be reached everywhere along the river. Even in Soochow, which is located near the tail, ships often come to Chengdu. Yizhou was once listed as the capital of the Tang Dynasty. The traffic between Beijing and Beijing was more concerned by people at that time. From Chengdu via Mianzhou (now Mianyang, Sichuan) to Jianzhou (now Jiange, Sichuan), you will enter Jinniu Road, and as for Liangzhou. From Liangzhou to Chang 'an, there are Meridian, Rollo, Violent Evil and Chencang Gu Dao. All these have been discussed before.

To the east of Yizhou, there is also a road leading to Zizhou (located in Santai, Sichuan). The distance between the two States is not too far. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, the two states were juxtaposed and became our envoy offices in Jianchuan and Xichuan respectively. From the northeast of Zizhou to Bazhou (now in Bazhong, Sichuan), enter Micang Road to Liangzhou. From southeast Chengdu via Jianzhou (now Jianyang, Sichuan) to Luzhou (now Luzhou, Sichuan).

Jianzhou is close to the middle reaches, and you can follow the waterway to Luzhou. This is also the old way for military strategists to attack and defend before.

Yizhou (now the seat of Mao Wen Qiang Autonomous Region in Sichuan) has Maozhou in the northwest. There is an old Taoguan in the state. Guan Yu was called "the reason", which may have been unguarded at that time. Although it is no longer fortified, the importance of its land has not diminished. According to the records of the Tang Dynasty, this pass "goes far to the western regions and is the only way to connect public and private affairs." This is an ancient road connecting Rui Rui and Henan during the Southern Dynasties, so it has certain significance. However, there were many countries near and north of the Tang Dynasty, which could not be compared with the Southern Dynasties.

From Yizhou to the south, you can go as far as Nanzhao. Yang Mao, the capital of Nanzhao, is now Dali, Yunnan. There are two roads from Yizhou to Yangmaocheng, and the south road passes through Qingxi in Lizhou (now Hanyuan North in Sichuan), Du Qiong (now Yuexi in Sichuan) and Huizhou (now Huili in Sichuan). North Road runs from Shimenguan to Wang Lu (now Ludian, Yunnan) and Zhou Kun (now Kunming, Yunnan). From Chengdu to Lizhou, I worked in Qiongzhou (where metallurgy is located in Qionglai, Sichuan) and Yazhou (where governance is located in Ya 'an, Sichuan). Qingxiguan is just south of Lizhou. Shimenguan on the North Road is located in Rongzhou (now Yibin, Sichuan) and Kaiyuan County (now Yanze North, Yunnan). The so-called Shimenguan should start from Rongzhou. At that time, from Yizhou down the Yangtze River, you could go directly to Yeongju.

Yizhou's prosperity is also due to the developed local agriculture and good silk products. The praise of the land of abundance and the abundance of grain output should be the main factors. Shu brocade is the most famous silk product. Chengdu has long been called Jincheng because it is so rich in real estate. Yizhou's products include marijuana, tea and paper. Although the hemp in Yizhou is not as famous as Shu brocade, it is also listed as a tribute. In Tang Suzong, Yanwu, Ma Shu and Cecilia Yip were taxed for the fifth time in the Qing Dynasty. Ma Shu can rank alongside Wuyan and Copper Smelter, which shows that it is not only of high quality, but also of large quantity. There are many producing areas of Shu tea, all in Yizhou area. Large and small yellow and white hemp paper produced in Yizhou is also very famous today. At that time, official documents and imperial edicts stipulated that books should be written on paper donated by Yizhou. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, it was also stipulated that the four books A, B, C and D should be written on Yizhou hemp paper for collection.

There should also be foreign objects in Nanzhao to promote Yizhou's economic prosperity. As early as the Han Soul, there was a record of "Yongchang with many foreign objects". Yongchang County is located in the southwest of Baoshan County, Yunnan Province, Yang Mao, the capital of Nanzhao. There can be many foreign bodies, not only local, but also from southwest countries. These foreign specialties can also be transported to Chengdu through the exchanges between Nanzhao and the mainland, contributing to the local prosperity.