How important is Shu brocade in the Three Kingdoms?

Shu brocade, as its name implies, refers to silk-woven jacquard brocade produced in Sichuan.

Shu brocade is one of the four famous brocade in China with the longest history. Shu brocade has a great influence on the silk industry in China, Asia and the world. Shu brocade originated in ancient times and flourished in the Spring and Autumn Period and Qin and Han Dynasties. The names of Jinguancheng and Jinjiang both come from Shu brocade.

Shu brocade was the most prosperous in Qin and Han dynasties, and it was so prosperous that it could be described as "overbearing".

How overbearing was Shu brocade in the Han Dynasty? Let's take a look today.

The value of Shu brocade is "overbearing" and precious! Speaking of Shu brocade, say the word "brocade" first. Brocade = "gold"+"silk" is the general name of silk, and this gold word is enough to highlight the value of silk.

"Shi Ming" has a cloud:

"Jin and Jin are also diligent, and their prices are as high as gold, so their characters are made of silk gold."

What is the concept of a handmade Sichuan brocade 20 cm square on a treasure, and the price is between 200-700? The price of Shu brocade with the same area is ten times that of 24K gold foil! Anyway, it's no exaggeration to say that money is expensive.

Let's go back to the Qin and Han dynasties and see what the value of Shu brocade was at that time.

Records of the Historian recorded Sima Cuo's evaluation of Shu during the reign of King Qin Huiwen: "The land is enough to build the country, and the wealth is enough to enrich the people and build the army". Shu is in a corner, which is the barbarian land in Zhang Yi's eyes. Why does Sima Cuo think that Shu is hiding huge wealth? On the one hand, the reason lies in Sichuan's unique climatic conditions and geographical location, on the other hand, it also has a lot to do with this piece of Shu brocade.

In Historical Records, the transaction of "Shu cloth" is mentioned many times, and Shu cloth refers to Shu brocade. It is precisely because of the transaction of Shu brocade that it has created great economic value for Shu, which is exactly what Sima Cuo likes.

"Shu Du Fu" says that Shu is "yellow and fine, and a barrel counts gold". You know, before the19th century, the total output of gold in the world for thousands of years was only 10,000 tons, and a barrel of top-grade Sichuan brocade was considered as gold, which was enough to show its high value.

Shu brocade was a kind of precious silk in Shu and Han dynasties, and the imperial court often exchanged it for military supplies such as war horses in the north. Although I don't know the specific exchange value, it can be exchanged for war horses and munitions in the troubled times of the Three Kingdoms, and the value of Shu Brocade should never be underestimated.

Zhuge Liang has two sentences in the military order "Yan Jinjiao": "The enemy's capital is only boasted" and "the needs of the army are all based on brocade".

What is this concept? When Liu Bei entered Shu, he took about 30,000 soldiers and horses. Later, Liu Zhang was merged with about 50,000 troops, Hanzhong was merged with about 30,000 troops, and Jingzhou was left with about 50,000 troops. In the heyday of Shu and Han, there were about150,000 troops. Most of the expenses of these military forces depend on Shu brocade, so it is no exaggeration to say that "money is expensive".

Users in Jin Shu are "overbearing" and exclusive to the upper class! The clothing system in Qin and Han dynasties was similar. Officials and upper-class people wear long sleeves, while ordinary people and poor families can only wear short clothes and shorts.

Clothing system greatly affects the materials used by tailors. For a simple example, if you had a good cloth, would you cut it into pieces to make a short coat? Of course not. The less waste, the better. Of course, at the price of Shu brocade, ordinary people can't afford it, so it gradually became the exclusive symbol of the upper class in Qin and Han Dynasties.

The Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Yu Fu Zhi, records: "Up to two thousand ladies, down to the queen, all wore silk clothes as court clothes." Which officials in the Han Dynasty enjoyed the treatment of two thousand stones? The lowest level, should be the county satrap level officials. Now, it is equivalent to provincial and ministerial officials.

Only family members of officials at or above the provincial or ministerial level can wear silkworms. Shu brocade, as a leader of silkworm clothing in Qin and Han dynasties, needs a higher level of people who can wear it. Ordinary people can only sigh at brocade.

With the development of textile industry and social economy, high-grade silk products such as brocade and embroidery have gradually become the objects sought after by wealthy folk businessmen. When they entertain guests, they often use noble silk products such as Shu brocade to frame the wall to show their identity. Shu brocade is not only a symbol of the status of dignitaries, but also an important carrier to commend meritorious deeds.

There is such a record in the biography of the reflection of Zhang Fei:

Yizhou Taiping, give Zhuge Liang,, fee, 500 kg each, 1 kg of silver, 50 million yuan, 1 kg.

Zhuge Liang, Fazheng, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu contributed the most to Liu Bei's pacification of Yizhou. Among the things he gave these people, "gold" is the most abrupt, because the other three things are money, and only "gold" is a thing.

Liu Bei awarded Shu brocade to the hero. On the one hand, it highlights the value of Shu brocade. On the other hand, we can also see that Shu brocade is a high-end product, which deserves the credit of these people. If today's Shu brocade is like polyester, Liu Bei will give it back to the hero. Isn't that a slap in the face?

In the Han dynasty, Shu brocade was an absolutely tall product and an exclusive fabric of the upper class.

The role of Shu brocade is "overbearing" and opening up business roads! When it comes to Shu brocade, we have to mention the famous Southern Silk Road.

Long before Zhang Qian opened the Silk Road to the Western Regions, the ancestors in the southwest had already opened a trade route from Sichuan to India, which was the predecessor of the Southern Silk Road-Shudao Capital.

Mr. Ji Xianlin's comments on Shu's poison in Notes on the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty are as follows:

This road was the Sino-Indian passage with Yunnan as the hub from the Warring States to the Han and Jin Dynasties.

What is the relationship between the Southern Silk Road and Shu brocade? It is because of Shu brocade that this important route connecting ancient Chinese and foreign trade was established! "Zhang Han Qian Zhuan" recorded a sentence that Zhang Qian said to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty after his first mission to the Western Regions:

"I saw Joan Zhu Ji and Shu Bu in summer."

The Shu cloth in Daxia just passed through Body Poison (India). Where is the Shu cloth in India?

According to Indian ancient Sanskrit literature, Hindu gods liked to wear China silk a long time ago, and China silk was traded through this poisonous Shu Road.

It is precisely because of the excellent quality of Shu brocade that such a trade channel can be created, which is enough to open up Shu brocade as a trade channel. Do you think it is overbearing or not?

Shu Jin's influence is "overbearing" and affects national policies! In the feudal history of China for thousands of years, attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce was almost one of the basic national policies of every dynasty, and the Han Dynasty was no exception.

Following the Qin system, the Han Dynasty always regarded agriculture as the pillar industry of the country. With the development and prosperity of Shu brocade industry, the basic national policy of attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce in Han Dynasty was once shaken.

For a simple example, ordinary farmers make a living by farming. Every year, part of the food they get is turned over to the court, and part of it is kept at home. However, silk fabrics are different. No matter how much they produce, they can't leave an inch, they can only sell it. As mentioned earlier, ordinary people are not qualified to wear high-end products such as Shu brocade. This has promoted the development of commercial economy.

If the imperial court wants to continue to curb commercial development, it can only completely destroy the silk industry in Sichuan and let all mulberry farmers, sericulture farmers and textile workers go home to grow grain. Is this feasible? Not at all.

In the Han Dynasty, the commercial trade driven by silk products brought huge returns to the imperial court and became an important economic pillar of the imperial court at that time. Which ruler is willing to break his arm?

According to historical records, Shu brocade and Shu embroidery developed in the Han Dynasty became an important source of tribute to the imperial court. So the court set up a "Jin Guan" in Chengdu to manage the production and sales of Jin Shu Shu embroidery, and specially built a city to protect the production of Jin Shu Shu embroidery.

Shu brocade not only shook the national policy of attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce in Han Dynasty, but also attracted the imperial court to set up the post of brocade official for it. What other products can have such a great influence? The influence of Shu brocade in the late Han Dynasty was mainly reflected in two people, one was Zhuge Liang and the other was Cao Pi.

Zhuge Liang's attitude towards Shu brocade, as we have said before, clearly stated in the military order that he would rely on Shu brocade. Let's talk about Cao Pi's attitude towards Shu Jin in detail. "On Shu Wang Hou Jin Shu" recorded a passage of Cao Pi:

"I used a bright brocade and a thin gold thread to weave a wishful tiger head. When it comes to Luo Yi, it's all evil. "

Obviously, the purpose of Cao Pi's saying this sentence is not to show how good his Shu brocade is, but to belittle it. At that time, Shu brocade was popular all over the country, and Wei became a loyal fan of Shu brocade from dignitaries to landlords and rich families.

We should know that the price of Shu brocade is very high, and people's pursuit of Shu brocade means that Wei's gold and silver currency will continue to flow to Shu, which will lead to a huge "trade deficit." The key to forcing an emperor to spin his own yarn can also attract his "slander", which shows that the influence of Shu brocade is indeed overbearing.

Postscript: As one of the birthplaces of silk culture in China, Shu Brocade, created by Shu State, has been riding in the mountains and rivers for more than 400 years, leaving a rich and colorful stroke in the long river of history.

The reason why Shu brocade is overbearing is mainly because our ancestors have extraordinary wisdom and exquisite craftsmanship. The interwoven silk thread is full of the strict requirements of the ancestors for craftsmanship, the diligent pursuit of the quality of craftsmen and the infinite yearning for a better life.