The main producing area of ancient pepper in China was Indian, a Southeast Asian country. These condiments came all the way from India and crossed the western desert into China. The long and arduous Silk Road transportation cost is extremely expensive, which leads to the skyrocketing commodity prices! For example, the ancient silk in China spread to Europe through the Silk Road and finally reached Europe, becoming a luxury ornament that only the richest nobles and emperors could enjoy. There is a silk dress, which is enough to make you shine at the dance. The same is true for peppers. In China, only the emperor dares not to spend money, and ordinary people simply can't afford it. It is also a super rich aristocrat who can use it in a small amount.
For example, during the period of Emperor Taizong, the prime minister monopolized state affairs for more than ten years. This man was insatiable, accumulated countless wealth, and was finally executed by Tang Daizong's property. The 800 stone peppers copied from his home made the emperor envious and surprised! This shows the preciousness of pepper.
In the Tang Dynasty, pepper could even be exchanged as currency, and storing pepper was just like storing gold. If you can have dozens of properties in the north, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, there are dozens of pounds of peppers in the Tang Dynasty! In medieval Europe, pepper was even called black gold, and its high price can be seen.
One more thing, pepper is a dry herb after all. Its weight is very light, and the density of gold is relatively high, which is convenient for transportation. Therefore, in terms of quality and form alone, it will definitely appear that peppers are very expensive.
Therefore, the value of pepper in the Tang Dynasty surpassed that of gold, which was caused by the high transportation cost. In the Song Dynasty, Guangzhou and other places had convenient shipping and small-scale cultivation. Pepper is much cheaper.