荔枝最著名的故事与美女有关。中国历史上的四大美女，其中之一就是唐代皇帝李隆基的爱妃——杨贵妃。唐明皇和杨贵妃的爱情故事在中国家喻户晓。

　　It was told that there were four most famous beauties in ancient China, one of which was the Tang Dynasty Emperor Longji Lee’s (685-762) favorite concubine Yang Guifei (her child name was Yuhuan=Jade-ring). Most people know her romantic love in China’s history.

　　杨贵妃出生于719年，今山西永济人。她身材丰满 ，天生丽质 ，性格温柔，善解人意 ，从小就精通音乐 和舞蹈 ，17岁的时候成为唐玄宗第十八子寿王的王妃。唐玄宗宠爱的武惠妃病逝后，十分悲伤 ，见到倾国倾城 的杨贵妃后，便将她纳入宫中。有了杨贵妃的陪伴，唐玄宗渐渐疏于朝政。

　　Yang Guifei was born in today’s Yongji County, Shanxi Province, in 719. The girl was a little bit fat but extremely beautiful in appearance of bearing. She behaved in polite and lovely manner. From her childhood, she was good at singing and dancing, especially at pandering and catering in public or private surrounding. At first she was selected as a concubine of the Emperor’s son at her age of 17. However, the old emperor’s original concubine Wu Hui died and substituted by Yang years later. Actually, Yang became the first wife of the Emperor falling in love with her all day long. Although he was at the age of 61, still his mind and heart were full of the 27-year-old beauty. The Emperor had been lazy to manage public affairs every day since his favorite beauty joined his life.

　　唐玄宗整天沉迷于酒色，杨贵妃家族一时权力显赫 ，政治越来越腐败 ，边地将领势力逐渐增强，最后爆发 了“安史之乱”。756年，杨贵妃被士兵陕西兴平市西马嵬坡缢死。“安史之乱”时间持续7年之久，唐朝由强盛开始走向衰败。

　　As a Chinese saying goes, "An old husband married a young wife." the Emperor was deeply intoxicated in debauchery. The "new bridegroom" spent much more time in leading his life of indulgence in sensual pleasures; therefore he neglected his administrative duty. Simultaneously the Emperor tried to appoint more officials from Yang’s family and relatives who played an important part in the court, and the original higher officials, especially in the border regions, got so furious that rebellions happened at last. The rebelling army killed her first cousin and at the same she was hung in 756, in Maweipo, Xingping County, Shaanxi Province. Although it took seven years to wipe out the seething rebellion, the Tang Dynasty turned progressively worse.

　　作为中国古代四大美女之一，人们对杨贵妃都感到同情 和惋惜，关于她的故事也一直被人们津津乐道 。我们现在夏季 常吃的水果 ——荔枝也是杨贵妃的最爱。唐朝大诗人 杜牧的《过华清宫绝句》就讲述了这个真实的故事。

　　However, as a beautiful concubine, Yang Guifei was still attractive to everyone showing great sympathy and regret to her. So the common people still told about her story as a pleasure. Particularly in early summer when we have various sorts of fruit to eat, we will be used to remind of the beautiful lady who took litchi as her favorite fruit. And still her story has been told about litchi. Here I’d like to quote the Tang Dynasty famous poet Du Mu’s poem about it.

　　“长安回望绣成堆，山顶千门次第开。一骑红尘妃子笑，无人知是荔枝来。”荔枝不容易保存，在没有现代化交通工具的唐代，靠飞马从南方传送荔枝到长安是多么的困难 。但是为了讨好杨贵妃的欢心，唐玄宗还是令人骑上快马，从岭南七天七夜，以接力的方式，从千里之外运送荔枝到长安，以供杨贵妃享用。在荔枝传送的途中，差官和马匹常常会累死，他们的千辛万苦只是为了换得杨贵妃的一笑，而人们不知道送的是荔枝，还以为是紧急公文呢。

　　I look back Chang’an hilltop embroidered in multicolor,Its palace gates consecutively open one after another. Whipping the horse galloping up dust is the rider, No one knows the concubine smiled for litchi drew near.

　　The poem tells us a true story in his poetic way. In ancient times, no easy traffic provided as we have but riding as the best way. In order to transport litchi from the southern China to the capital city of the Tang Dynasty, it was necessary for heralds to ride on turn for one stop to another and still another. The herald should carry litchi on horseback and whipped it galloping fast to the traveling palace on Lishan-hilltop as a termination so as to meet the beauty’s favorite need.