Postal Transmission: Ming Dynasty Nanjing Yilu Road in all directions

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. ”

Nanjing Huitongguan is the first station in the world

Volume 29 of the Records of the Ming Dynasty records that in the first year of Hongwu (1368), the edict "placed all the water horse stations and delivery stations, express delivery shops, and all land stations sixty or eighty miles, specifically for the delivery of envoys, flying military affairs, transporting military supplies, etc." It can be seen that the Ming Dynasty set up a post station every 60 or 80 miles on the post road radiating from Nanjing.

In the Ming Dynasty, there were a total of 15 stations in the urban area of Nanjing and the surrounding areas, which were Huitongguan, Wumanyi, Longjiang Shuimayi, JiangdongMayi, Dashengyi, JiangningMayi, Longtan Shuimayi, Yuntingyi, Jianghuaiyi, Tangyiyi, Dongyangmayi, Taipingyi, Zhongshanyi, Jiangpuyi, and Liuheyi, which were distributed in the urban area, Jiangning, Jurong, Liuhe, Jiangpu and other places. Among them, longjiang water horse station is located outside the Jinchuan Gate on the side of the big river, the Ming Dynasty Ministry of Works set up a Longjiang Pass here, foreign envoys and merchants pass through the station. Jiangdong Mayi is located on the side of the big river outside jiangdong gate, and is also used for overseas merchants to stay.

Of course, the most noteworthy thing is the meeting hall. It is located in the west of Chang'an Avenue in the urban area, zhu Yuanzhang was established when he was called emperor, specifically responsible for receiving domestic ethnic minority leaders or foreign envoys, and its function is somewhat similar to today's state guesthouse, which can be called "the first station in the world." The mud king Munaya kana Nai, who came to China in the sixth year of Yongle (1408), and the Managa king Baili Misura, who came to China in the ninth year of Yongle (1411), were all settled in it. After Zhu Di moved the capital, he built a huitongguan in Beijing, but the Nanjing huitongguan remained, but its functions were gradually reduced. Wu Man Yi is in the west of The Huitongguan and mainly receives the entourage of foreign guests.

In the Ming Dynasty, the Post Shops in Nanjing were mainly distributed in Shangyuan and Jiangning Counties, such as the Chengdong Pavilion, the Millstone Pavilion, the Qilin Shop, the Luojia Shop, the Gaoqiao Shop, the Chunhua Town Shop, the Suoshu Shop, the Tuqiao Shop, the Fuqian General Shop, the Sanshan Shop, and the Jiangdong Shop.

The postal management system has moved from strict to abolished

During the Yuan Dynasty, the station was entrusted with special "station households", and the majority of station households were overwhelmed by the heavy burden and lived an extremely miserable life, which seriously affected the maintenance and survival of the station. Zhu Yuanzhang learned the lesson of the chaotic management of the former dynasty post stations when building the postal station system, and formulated strict laws for the management of the post stations, such as the "Daming Law" containing 18 "postal station laws". For example, in the 26th year of Hongwu's regulations, those who are not serious matters of the military state, who are not "internal official personnel, who are serious military affairs and dispatched by orders", are not allowed to give to the post, and those who dare to take the stagecoach to pass on the boat and horse without authorization are severely punished.

One of Zhu Yuanzhang's son-in-law, Ouyang Lun, fought against the law and used stagecoach to smuggle tea without authorization. His domestic slaves also fought with dogs, forcibly recruited stagecoaches to transport goods for them, and insulted and beat the stagecoaches. Zhu Yuanzhang was very angry when he heard this, and mercilessly killed Ouyang Lun.

Under zhu Yuanzhang's strong rectification, "Yi delivered Qingle, and Lijia did not disturb", and his appearance was renewed.

However, by the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the postal system was becoming more and more malpractic. The magnates used the station in violation of the law, extorted the station, sent the dogs to fight the people, and insulted the pawns, making the stations overwhelmed and it difficult for the pawns to survive. A monologue by an old Yicheng in the Ming opera "Love Post" tells their difficult situation: "This side wants a boat, that side wants a horse." This side wants a dry man, that side wants a water man, waiting for the supply, and where it is slightly less, it is to lock the coachman and beat the stagecoach. ”

During the Ming Dynasty, Hai Rui served as the Inspector of Yingtian and rectified the post, so that the drawbacks of the post were eliminated. He also combined his experience in rectifying postal transmissions to formulate the twenty-five articles of the "Coping Book". During the Wanli Dynasty, Zhang Juzheng, the powerful first assistant, also vigorously rectified and reformed the postal system, promulgated the law of posting, restricted the privileges of officials, and brought a number of violators to justice.

However, in the environment and background of the decline of the Ming regime, the governance reform carried out by Hai Rui, Zhang Juzheng and others on the post system that had accumulated too many drawbacks could not fundamentally solve its drawbacks, and the post government soon fell into a state of ruin and withering. (Zhu Ruizhe)