Did Qin Shihuang find the elixir of life?

There is a magical story in ancient China, that is, Xu Fudong crossed the sea fairy island to find the elixir for Qin Shihuang. At present, many people think that Xu Fu is just a very successful charlatan, but in fact, according to the ancient documents of China and Japan, the so-called elixir really existed in ancient times. It is called "Chitose", claiming that eating it can make you live for thousands of years, and it can also make you live for three years and three months.

As we all know, Xu Fu's trip to Japan is the most popular version, and many places in Japan have legends about Xu Fu. Of course, more people want to believe that Xu Fu became the Emperor Jimmu of Japan and founded Japan after his trip to Japan. Among them, 1% of Japanese genes came from Yunnan, China (at that time, most of the 3,000 boys and girls led by Xu Fu came from the southwest), which was the main evidence of Xu Fu's trip to Japan.

So Xu Fu is really a liar? Or will Qin Shihuang be a stupid person? Of course, that's impossible. According to ancient Japanese documents, a magical plant called Chitose was discovered in Japan in ancient times (probably equivalent to China's Spring and Autumn Period). This plant is as big as a walnut, with thick and sweet juice and can live for thousands of years. Locals still have the habit of making walking sticks from the branches of this plant, which is called Penglai stick.

While Cuiwei lives in China, which is on the coast of the East China Sea, it is not difficult for Japanese rumors to spread to China, especially the word "Penglai Staff" gave Cuiwei a great psychological hint. Then Cuiwei found Qin Shihuang, who was eager to find an elixir, claiming that he found three fairy islands, Penglai, Abbot and Yingzhou, in The Classic of Mountains and Seas, and said that there was an elixir circulating for a hundred years on the island, and Qin Shihuang even believed it and helped Cuiwei go to sea.

Later, Trevor came back soon after his first trip to sea. He told Qin Shihuang that although he didn't find the fairy medicine, he found the fairy mountain. But immortals need treasures to offer, and 3,000 pairs of virgins need to go together. He even said that there are big fish in the sea, and it is necessary to shoot them back with a crossbow to ensure safety. At this time, Qin Shihuang, who was eager for medicine, naturally did everything he could to personally urge local officials to deal with related affairs quickly. Only a few months later, Trevor went to sea again.

This time, Chuifu never came back, and Qin Shihuang didn't wait for the elixir he dreamed of. In fact, according to Chuifu's position, the so-called Haixian Mountain he found is probably Japan's "three islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu". After Chuifu arrived in Japan, he became king in the "land of Guangping Plain" in the east, and defeated all the forces around him with the strong bow and crossbow given by Qin Shihuang. This is the legend of Emperor Jin Mu's eastward expedition.

So does the so-called "chitose" in Xu Fugui and Japanese legends exist or not? In fact, chitose is real, and even now it is widely spread in Zhudao and other places in Japan, and it has entered the stage of artificial reproduction. According to Chinese medicine, Chitose is a Chinese herbal medicine. As a vine shrub, its roots and fruits are used as medicine, and it has the effects of regulating middle energizer and regulating qi, promoting fluid production and moistening dryness, relieving fever and vexation, promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling. Its meat is green and its skin is soft and hairy.

Yes, the so-called Japanese chitose is China's wild kiwifruit. Of course, the artificially cultivated kiwifruit has been several times larger than before, and eating it often does have the effect of prolonging life. But most importantly, the origin of kiwifruit in China is the Qinling generation in Shaanxi, which is the hometown of Qin Shihuang. It can be said that Qin Shihuang grew up eating wild kiwifruit. It is estimated that Xu Fuzheng discovered this phenomenon and dared not go back to China.