Chapter 250: Runes

However, although the use of beacons to transmit information is fast, it can only pray for the role of alarm, and it is difficult to meet the needs of grasping the enemy's situation and directing operations. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

Therefore, with the needs of the war, from the Yin Shang period to the Zhou Dynasty, the main book has formed a post system for transmitting documents, and the propylene and Fengsui technology complement each other and cooperate with each other.

According to the oracle bone inscriptions, there was already a post post in the Shang Dynasty, and it was further improved in the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, there was a post station every 34 miles on the avenue for sending letters, and horses were equipped in the post station, and horses could be changed in the station during the delivery process, so that the official documents and letters of the government could be passed on one after another.

In ancient times, while laying the foundation of civilization, the ancestors also created the rudiments of information transmission. In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the post delivery method was relatively complete. After the formation of the unified state of the Qin and Han dynasties, the post system was relatively sound. In the Tang and Song dynasties, in addition to the land station, the water station also developed greatly. The post post in the Yuan Dynasty has achieved unprecedented development, even exceeding the world level at that time. The Ming and Qing dynasties also played an important role in the management of the vast territory of the imperial court. However, in modern times, the Western postal system and technology have been greatly improved, and compared with its high efficiency, the shortcomings of China's traditional postal system have been increasingly exposed. Hai Rui, a famous minister in the Ming Dynasty, pointed out the crisis of the post system. In the late Qing Dynasty, some people of insight called for the establishment of a new type of postal service. In the 32nd year of Guangxu, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications was established. Since then, the original post stations have been abolished and replaced by modern postal operations.

Central Asia was home to a powerful and short-lived Timurid Empire, founded by descendants of the Mongols and controlling vast areas that included present-day India, Afghanistan, and Iran. The Timurid Empire formulated a strict post system, stipulating that the post envoy must travel 500 miles a day, and also gave the post envoy a privilege, when the horse needs to be changed during the journey, whether it is the emperor's relatives or ordinary people, as long as the post envoy asks for a change of horse, he must use his own horse to exchange with the post envoy, if he refuses, he will be guilty of killing his head. During a period of time, Timur's army expanded its territory and won many battles, which was inseparable from the sound post system and well-informed information. The post office is a correspondence organization of the government, which is only allowed to transmit official documents, but not private letters. Due to the development of production and the needs of life, people's demand for communication is becoming more and more urgent, and those who go abroad to do business, work, and soldiers who are forced to go out to fight in the war years and people who have fled from their hometowns need to communicate with their families and friends. In particular, merchants from all over the world urgently need communication in order to exchange business information, negotiate trade, and deliver bills. As a result, the business of private letter delivery came into being.

There is a famous writer and calligrapher in the Eastern Han Dynasty, his name is Cai Yong, and Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty once called him Zuo Zhonglang General, so later generations called him Cai Zhonglang. In the "Yutai New Song", there is a poem "Drinking Horses and Great Wall Caves" in the ancient music house of the Han Dynasty, signed by Cai Yong. The poem reads: "The guest came from afar, left me a double carp, Hu'er cooked carp, and there was a ruler book." This poem expresses the feelings of the parting couple's longing, the love is sincere, touching, widely circulated among the people, the "double carp" in the poem refers to a woodcut carp with two boards, it is the envelope of the Qin and Han dynasties. This envelope is made of two fish-shaped wooden planks, unlike the current pocket-shaped envelopes made of paper. And "plain books" are letters written in plain silk. "Double carp ruler" is a common envelope and letter in the Han Dynasty. This form of communication was widely used during the Han Dynasty. Until the Tang Dynasty, people also knotted the ruler into the shape of a double carp, as a sign of letters, the Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin wrote in the "Sending Orders to the Fox Lang": "Songyun Qin Shu has been away for a long time, and the two carps have traveled a paper book." It can be seen that until the Tang Dynasty, "double carp" was still a synonym for the form of communication.

In terms of the contemporary period, during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the post posts in different regions were still developed. For example, Liu Bei once operated the Sichuan-Shaanxi Post Road transportation, "from Chengdu to Baishui, more as a house". And "Three Kingdoms, Shu Shu, Biography of the First Lord" Pei Songzhi's note quoted from the "Dictionary" and said: "(Liu) Bei then set up the pavilion building, built a pavilion barrier, from Chengdu to Baishuiguan, more than 400 districts. "The "building" and the "house" are the same post facilities. Wei had an edict ordering Sima Yi, who was far away in Hanoi, to rush back to Luoyang, "within three days, the edict will be five solstice." Sima Yi "traveled day and night", "more than 400 miles, one night." It also reflects that the post post was very smooth at that time.

An important feature of the development of postal posts during this period was the popularization of paper documents. It is said that after Zuo Si's "Sandu Fu" was written, "the noble families competed to write it, and Luoyang was expensive for it." "Paper has gradually replaced the slips, making it easier to deliver postal books.

It is said that the post station is famous, and there are some things that are also very famous, and they also belong to this category, that is, Fu Xin, such as the famous Tiger Fu, stealing Fu to save Zhao, and so on.

China entered the Warring States Period, and the feudal society was formed and developed for 2,000 years. As the beginning of feudal society, the Warring States period was full of vitality and rapid social and economic development. As a result, the communications industry has made tremendous progress.

During the Warring States period, exchanges between the various vassal states were unprecedentedly frequent. At that time, with Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, as the center, east to Qilu, west to Guanzhong, north to Yanzhao, south to Wu Chu, extending in all directions, there are post roads to communicate. Because of the frequent competition between the vassal states at that time, each had a group of lobbyists and strategists, who lobbied and planned between countries, which also made the post post unprecedentedly busy.

During the Warring States Period, one of the signs of busy post correspondence was the popularity of Jianshu and Fu Xin.

At that time, paper had not yet been invented, and the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang and Zhou dynasties had been eliminated, and the communication of bamboo and wood was gradually emerging. Jianshu is to engrave letters or articles on bamboo and wood slips, and the Western Zhou Dynasty began to appear. "The Book of Songs" has: "The king is difficult, and the king starts to live." Won't you be nostalgic? I'm afraid of this short book. It means: how difficult the state is, the king of Zhou cannot get peace. Don't I want to go home soon? The fear is that the government will send another military document. The "Jianshu" here is the Bamboo and Wood Letters. During the Warring States Period, all daily official documents, official newspapers, official correspondence, and lobbyists wrote books were all written in simple scripts. Brief letters are generally written inwards and bundled and sealed, while long letters are tied with leather strips to form a book, rolled into a volume, and sealed on the outside. Such official letters, in any respect, are much lighter than the oracle bones before.

The letter is a token of communication, that is, a certificate of passage, with a symbol and a section. A knot, which is a proof of identity, is used by a messenger or merchant on his way. Those who hold this festival will be provided with accommodation and meals along the way. In Changsha, Hunan Province, a copper section of the Warring States period was unearthed, which was horse-shaped, also known as the "Copper Horse Festival". According to paleographer Yu Xingwu's research, this is the identity certificate of "riding the marquis". "Hou" is the official name in charge of riding the legend, "riding" is the name of the single riding communication, and "passing" refers to the luxurious transmission of the car "驲". The Riding Chuan Hou was a full-time official who was in charge of the chariot and horse legends. With this certificate, you can travel unimpeded on the post road. The symbols are slightly different from the sections, most of them are military certificates, and they can also be used as passes required by the national security regulations. It is generally said that the symbol is divided into two halves, half of which is held by the king, and the other half is issued to the generals with the troops.

During the Warring States Period, a kind of document called "sealed passenger" was also used on the post road. According to the "Historical Records", when Meng Weijun was released from Qin and returned to Qi, King Qin Zhao regretted it and wanted to send someone to chase him back. But Meng Weijun had already escaped by express train. He changed the "sealed biography", changed his name, and mixed out Hangu Pass in the middle of the night. King Qin Zhao ordered the express mail truck to chase after him quickly, but he did not recover it. Tang Dynasty scholars have verified that this kind of seal is the later post coupon, a kind of proof of driving on the post road. The above story is an allusion to Meng Yanjun's use of the chickens and dogs under his door to disguise the chickens and dogs to make money to open and close the door. It is said that this system was set by Shang Ying, and later, when Shang Ying himself was framed to flee Qin, he was detained in an inn because he was undocumented, and was finally captured by the Qin army.

During the Warring States period, there were many names and types of runes. In terms of use, there are road sections, door runs, etc. In terms of shape, there are Eagle Festival, Goose Festival, Dragon Festival, Tiger Festival, Horse Festival, Bear Festival, etc.

The messenger who holds the rune has the privilege of communication. If there is a traffic jam, he can pass first; During the period of martial law, he can also be released without restriction and make an exception; He can also see the king quickly. However, the time limit for their correspondence is set by the relevant departments, and there are certain regulations on when and where they must arrive. This is called "All the Day Lessons" and ensures that the communication arrives on time.

The communication tools of the Warring States period were more advanced than those of the previous generation. There are more and more single-riding communications, and the word "遽" also has the meaning of horseback communication. In addition to the fact that major state affairs were handled by special envoys and special envoys, the power of general correspondence at that time was gradually transferred downwards and placed in charge of lower-level officials, who were called "letter ministers", "waiting officials", "rumors", and so on. The emergence of a large number of names indicates that communication services were commonplace at that time.

It is worth saying that now Huangfu Song and they are in a state of fake festivals.

It was the emperor who lent the knot to the courtiers who were on temporary assignments to deter one side, and when the courtier's temporary task was completed, the knot would be withdrawn.

The festival represents the identity of the emperor, and all the envoys who hold the festival represent the emperor in person, symbolizing the emperor and the country, and can exercise power. For example, the feudal princes were divided, the criminals were arrested, the rebellion was suppressed, the envoys to foreign countries were sent to foreign countries, and the peace was signed and negotiated by the festival.

In addition, there are also hidden means of communication such as Yin Charm and Yin Book.

The so-called yin charm is made of bamboo slips. When using, write the text to be sent on the bamboo slip, and then split it into 3 pieces, which is called "one close and then leave", and send 3 people to each hold one piece and send it to the destination. After the recipient receives the bamboo slip, put the three pieces together, and the content of the secret letter can be seen at a glance, which is called "three and one know".

In fact, the Yin Charm also has the meaning of the Tiger Charm mentioned above, and the ancient emperors granted the military power to their subordinates and the certificate used to mobilize the army, which is also a symbol of the ancient military power. A symbol is cut into two halves from the middle, and the two parties concerned each hold half of it, and the two halves are interlocked with each other when used, indicating that the verification is credible.

Of course, in fact, the process principle is the same, and it is only effective when put together.

According to legend, in the last years of the Shang Dynasty, Jiang Taigong assisted the Zhou family, making the Zhou family from weak to strong. Once, the Zhou army led by them commanded the camp was surrounded by rebels, the situation was critical, Jiang Taigong ordered the messenger to break through the siege, back to the dynasty to move troops, he was afraid that the messenger would forget the secret, and was afraid that King Wen of Zhou did not know the messenger and delayed military affairs, so he folded his cherished fishing rod into several sections, each section was of different length, each representing a military aircraft, so that the messenger remembered, not to pass it on. The messenger returned to the court after several twists and turns, and King Wen of Zhou ordered several fishing rods to be put together on the left and right, and personally examined it, and King Wen of Zhou identified it as Jiang Taigong's beloved thing, and personally led the army to the place of the incident, relieving Jiang Taigong's danger. Afterwards, Jiang Taigong took the fishing rod that made him turn danger into danger and turn danger into safety, and his wonderful ideas were like springs, and he improved the method of transmitting messages from the fishing rod, and invented the "Yin Fu".

The original "Yin Fu" was made of bamboo, and later it was changed to wood and copper chips. There is no text on the "Yin Fu", no pattern, and the people who pass on the "Fu" do not know the meaning of the "Fu", and even if they are captured and defect to the enemy, it is difficult for the enemy to know the content of the "Fu". Later, with the development of culture, "Yin Fu" was gradually replaced by "Yin Shu".

The Book of Yin is an article recorded in the ancient military work "Liutao", which is recorded in the "Longtao Chapter" - on military organization. This article first clarifies the role of the Yin Script, that is, when "the Lord wants to join forces, make infinite changes, and seek unforeseen benefits, his affairs are troublesome, and the characters cannot be understood", the Yin Book should be used. Then the use of Yin Book was introduced. It is believed that this method has a high degree of secrecy, "although the enemy is sage, he cannot know it".

The so-called "Yin Shu" is actually a kind of military document, and the method of transmission is more secret. The method is to first write the confidential content to be transmitted on a series of bamboo slips or wooden slips, and then disassemble and shuffle the bamboo slips or wooden slips, and divide them into three parts, which is called "one close and then separated". Then send three messengers to deliver one to the same destination. After the "Yin Book" is delivered to the destination, the recipient puts together the three copies of the "Yin Book" in order, so that the content of the "Yin Book" is clear at a glance, and it is called "three times and one knows".

This kind of "yin book" has good confidentiality, and from a certain point of view, it is similar to the characteristics of a shifted password. Because even if a certain messenger is captured by the enemy, the "Yin Book" falls into the hands of the enemy, and complete information will not be obtained. However, there are also drawbacks, because the original text is divided into three parts, so once one copy is lost, the recipient cannot understand the original meaning.

Yin Shu is another method of keeping secrets in ancient correspondence, which evolved from Yin Script, which can convey more specific messages than Yin Script. But whether it is a yin charm or a yin book, it has certain limitations. First, it may be intercepted by the other party and it is difficult to achieve the purpose of transmitting the message, and second, it is possible that the content may be deciphered by the other party and used by the other party. (To be continued.) )