Chapter 32 Section 9: The developed private journey of the Tang Dynasty

Some scholars believe that the functions of the "post" and "transmission" mentioned above are separate. "post" is mostly used by lower-level post officials and post officials who run back and forth on the post road; while "transmission" is used by high-level officials who are "sent by the government and passed on from station to station".But what they have in common is that they are all government-run buildings, which are managed by the state. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, private hostels were more common, and they were still called "Ni Lu" in accordance with the previous generation.Ni means to welcome, and Nilv refers to welcoming people who are traveling.From the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, due to the smooth transportation, the commodity economy developed greatly, and the private reverse travel developed rapidly.These private hostels are relatively free, and are generally opened in villages and towns along the post road, and some also open hotels at the same time, so that guests who are tired from the journey can eat and drink, and have a good night's rest.Tang Zhangji's poem "Jinjiang is near the west with smoke and water is green, and lychees are ripe at the top of Xinyu Mountain. There are many restaurants beside the Wanli Bridge. Where do tourists like to stay?" It typically describes the situation of some private travellers-cum-restaurants near Chengdu, Sichuan.Another poem by Zhang Ji said: "The wild store is near Jiangpu, and there are orange blossoms in front of the door. Turn off the lights to wait for customers, sell wine and fishermen." These poems say that most of the folk inns are near the riverside road.Some private hotels are also opened in the commercial area of ​​the city, such as the "Doujiadian" in Xishi, the capital Chang'an, and the "Wangjiadian" in Chongrenfang.

During the Sui Dynasty, probably because there were too many private inns, which hindered the government-operated post houses, it caused a big controversy in the court at the beginning of the Sui Dynasty.Prime Minister Su Wei thought: "Shops are profit-seeking people, and their business is dirty, which is not the righteousness (advocating agriculture)." He suggested that all private rebels should be closed and ordered to return to agriculture.This argument was opposed by other courtiers.Minister Li Er (e'er) pointed out that private rebellious brigades have existed since ancient times, and they existed at the same time as the official post post and flag kiosks.This opinion was endorsed by Yang Jian, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, who believed that he was a good minister who was considerate of the people's sentiments ("Sui Shu · Li Er Biography").From this example, it can be seen that the great development of the Sui and Tang Dynasties conformed to the requirements of history.

By the Tang Dynasty, Nilv became an indispensable facility for people's daily life.There are many descriptions about Nilv in Tang poems and novels of Tang people, and there are also many legendary stories about Nilv.The story of the famous "engagement shop" happened in the reverse journey: During the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty (627-649 AD), there was a scholar named Wei Gu. In a hotel in Songcheng, an old fortune-teller told him that all marriages It is all established by the previous life, there is a red rope between the man and the woman, and no one can escape the arrangement of heaven.Later, Wei Gu's marriage was just as the old man said. After several twists and turns, he still married the daughter of a poor and humble family he thought at first ("Taiping Guangji").There is also no lack of relevant content in other Tang Dynasty novels.Ma Zhou, a famous minister of Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty, also lived in Xinfeng Nilu when he was down and down.Seeing that he was poor, the owner of the inn began to neglect him, and later saw that he was extraordinary, and often "ordered wine to drink leisurely and alone", gradually respecting him and treating him favorably.In the end, Ma Zhou was appreciated by Tang Taizong and became an important minister of the court ("Tan Bin Lu").Li He, a poet in the Mid-Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem specifically for it, saying: "I heard that Ma Zhou used to be a new Fengke, but no one knew it...".

In the Tang Dynasty, the owner of a private rebellion was sometimes the head of a government post, and he also operated a national post and a private hotel.For example, in the Tang Dynasty, He Mingyuan, a famous textile entrepreneur with 500 silk machines and millions of assets, not only presided over the three government posts, managed the post stations and post houses, but also "opened shops and stopped business" beside the post stations.Such shopkeepers who were both government-run buildings and private inverse brigades were probably not in the minority at that time. The prosperity of private travel reflects the economic prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, the development of postal transportation and the richness of social life.