Ep 5: The barber shop mentions the Lantern Festival, 3rd Year of Tianbao. That of course is a clear call out to Longest Day in Chang'an. And the customer he remembers should be Cao Poyan, the Wolven Squad leader that snuck into Chang'an.
compre lichi para ver si era verdad que no duraban en pocos dias, pero puedo decir que es mentira, duran fuera…
It is widely recorded in Tang historical texts and records that during those times, litchi only lasted 2-3 days. Today, litchis last longer due to early harvesting (before they are ripe) and agricultural advances including cultivating hardier varieties and treatment with fungicides and waxes. Nowadays even without refrigeration they can easily last over a week but they don't taste as good.
Yeah I probably have no time to go this year and I am really torn between revisiting Xian for the new excavations or Chengdu for the Sanxingdui museum.
Lol - then you know that Yang Guifei was very... ahem... quite round! I haven't been there in years but I mean to go back soon as I heard there are many new excavations and discoveries in Xian.
For some historical trivia, Mo Boyong's book was probably inspired by Du Mu /杜牧's poem 过华清宫/A Passage to Huaqing Palace that critique Emperor Xuanzong's extravagance for Yang Guifei:
一骑红尘妃子笑， 无人知是荔枝来 A horse kicks up red dust—the concubine smiles, No one knows it’s litchi coming all those miles.
That line is very famous for mocking how the couriers raced at breakneck speed just to bring litchi to Yang Guifei at Huaqing Palace and is one of the most often quoted in criticism of Yang Guifei's influence and Tang decadence.
Litchis were Noble Consort Yang's favorite fruit. She was the beauty that destroyed the empire. This is one of…
Yes the title "Litchi Road" actually refers to the evolution of the ancient postal system in China, which originated to satisfy one decadent woman's cravings for litchi/lychee.
The drama seems to possess the same vibrant (although less dark) thrill of The Longest Day in Chang'an alternated…
Litchis were Noble Consort Yang's favorite fruit. She was the beauty that destroyed the empire. This is one of her Marie Antoinette moments - insisting fresh litchis be brought to her thousands of miles in hot summer. This story mocks everything that was amiss with the Tang dynasty towards the end of Xuanzong's reign. Its too early to say for sure, but I think the Right Chancellor should be Yang Guifei's cousin, who dominated the court until the An Lushan rebellion.
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That of course is a clear call out to Longest Day in Chang'an. And the customer he remembers should be Cao Poyan, the Wolven Squad leader that snuck into Chang'an.
一骑红尘妃子笑，
无人知是荔枝来
A horse kicks up red dust—the concubine smiles,
No one knows it’s litchi coming all those miles.
That line is very famous for mocking how the couriers raced at breakneck speed just to bring litchi to Yang Guifei at Huaqing Palace and is one of the most often quoted in criticism of Yang Guifei's influence and Tang decadence.