Postal stations were ancient national communications and transportation organizations, and successive rulers attached great importance to them. After Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, he opened up post roads radiating the whole country with Nanjing as the center, set up post stations, delivery stations, and express delivery shops on various water and land passages, and built a complete post delivery system. In order to ensure the normal operation of the postal system, the Ming government also formulated strict laws.
Yilu radiates the whole country with Nanjing as the center
Since the development of the postal industry in Nanjing during the Six Dynasties, the postal business has experienced a period of prosperity and prosperity, and has also encountered a situation of decay and neglect. Entering the Ming Dynasty, the Nanjing postal industry has opened a new development process and built a complete post delivery system.
Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to the construction of the post station, he said: "Therefore, the post is passed on to reach the government of the four directions, so although it is unique and exclusive, it is indispensable. "After the Ming Dynasty established the capital Nanjing, it built 10 major water and land corridors radiating the whole country with Nanjing as the center, namely, Nanjing from Dongpingzhou to Beijing Road, Nanjing to Henan and Shanxi Ersheng Road, Nanjing to Shaanxi and Sichuan Ersheng Road, Nanjing to Jiangxi and Guangdong Ersheng Waterway, Nanjing from Huai and Pi to Shandong Buzhengsi Road, Nanjing from Huai'an, Deng, lai sanfu to Liaodong Waterway, Nanjing to Huguang, Yun, guisan provinces east road, Nanjing to Guangxi Buzhengsi waterway, Nanjing to Zhejiang and Fujian two provinces waterway, Nanjing to Shanhaiguan Road.
On each land and water corridor, there are post stations, delivery stations, and express delivery shops. The main function of the post is to send mail and receive envoys; to transport all land and water, responsible for transporting materials and personnel; and the courier shop is dedicated to the delivery of ordinary documents.
These post stations and post roads played a role in making the Ming regime "declare virtue, reach the lower level, prevent adultery, curse riots, and control the frontier", and also made Nanjing in the Ming Dynasty have very convenient water and land transportation conditions, so Gu Qiyuan said: "Jinling is two hubs, and the spokes are all over the world." ”
In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, with the prosperity of the trade industry, this kind of water and land transportation conditions were naturally favored by merchants, and Yilu became a trade route with frequent exchanges. Some merchants even buy equestrians and envoys to help themselves traffic goods in order to save on transportation costs. In order to facilitate travel, some people have compiled the nodes and distances on the trade road into traffic and business guides.
In the famous merchant book "Scholars and Merchants" that will be opened tomorrow, hundreds of water and land trade routes are recorded, including a "Song of Water Yi Jie Jie", which vividly introduces the name and location of the main station on the waterway from Nanjing to Beijing in a smooth manner: "From then on, under the Longjiang River, Longtan sent over YizhenBa. Guangling ShaoBoda Lucheng, the first of the boundary Anping near Huaiyin. Once out of the Yellow River is qingkou, Taoyuan has only passed through the ancient city. Zhongwu Zhihe river is connected to Pi, Xin'anfang Village Pengcheng period. ”
Author: Zhu Ruizhe