我想可能有許多人常買荔枝來吃，但大概還有人不知道荔枝樹長什麼樣子吧。
荔枝成熟時，顆顆晶瑩飽滿，亮眼耀目。但摘下來後卻不耐久放，兩三天之後便要乾褐發黑。怪不得唐玄宗要嶺南官員快馬加鞭，仿照緊急遞送軍情方式，五百里加急，解送新鮮荔枝到長安，以免耽誤影響到送給楊玉環這朵「解語花」的新鮮度了。
唐．杜牧有一句詩吟詠楊玉環：「一騎紅塵妃子笑，無人知是荔枝來。」可見楊貴妃是如何的喜愛吃荔枝了。為了一個女人的愛好，調用軍隊資源，專程運送水果，怪不得帝國會滅亡了。
Many people often buy litchis but I think there are people who still have no idea what litchi trees look like.
When litchis are mature, the ripe, plump fruits gleam in the sun. They don't keep well once picked, however, and they turn dry and black after two or three days. No wonder Tang Emperor Xuanzong ordered officials in Lingnan to send them on fast horses, as if transmitting military intelligence. By sending fresh litchis at the fastest possible speed over the hundreds of miles to Changan, the Emperor was able to let imperial consort Yang「Guifei」enjoy their indescribable flavor.
The Tang poet Du Mu wrote the verse "Riding countless dusty miles to make the imperial consort smile, no one knew about the arrival of litchis" in praise of Yang Guifei. It is obvious that Yang Guifei was very fond of litchis. But by diverting military resources to please a woman, it's no wonder that the emperor's reign came to a bad end.＠
點閱【徐明義畫集】系列文章。
責任編輯：昌英
