"Chang'an Lychees" is a historical novel set in the Tang Dynasty and written by Ma Boyong.
The story revolves around Li Shande, a ninth-grade official who is set up by his superiors to take on the almost impossible task of transporting fresh lychees from Lingnan to Chang'an before the birthday of the imperial concubine. Lingnan is far away from Chang'an, so the shelf life of lychees is very short. The officialdom is complicated and various forces are competing against each other, making transportation difficult. But Li Shande resolutely embarked on the journey for the sake of his family and his own future. He went deep into Lingnan to study the characteristics of lychees with the help of fruit farmers. After countless failures, encountering severe weather, greedy officials, unexpected situations and other hardships, he found special preservation materials and transshipment routes when he was almost desperate, and successfully transported lychees to Chang'an. But what awaits him is not success, but the whirlpool of power struggle in the officialdom. In this series of experiences, he has seen through the darkness and complexity of the officialdom, and has also maintained the kindness and integrity in his heart.
