52 Zhang Han
Made an Example of “Know Where You Should Stop”
Zhang Han with polite name Jiying was an official in West Jin Dynasty. People knew his name only from a few words in an ancient book: “Zhang was a native of Wu (Yangtze Delta).He was intelligent and well-versed in writing.” Zhang was as a matter of fact nothing special, but there was a story which won him a historical name:
Zhang held his official post in Luoyang, the West Jin capital. Once Autumn set in, he began to miss his native land deli dish “perch fish and water shield soup”, sighing: “It’s pointless to be an official parting homeland for thousand li (1/2km).” He then handed in his resignation. Just shortly after his leaving, a coup and violence took place in the capital, and many officials died in the disaster.
Yes, Zhang had foreseen the looming danger. Sage Laozi had a well-known teaching “retreat after success”, warning those who in the peak of their official career knew where they should stop. Zhang’s story highlighted a philosophical wisdom, and the word “missing perch fish and water shield soup” became an idiom.
The perch fish with four gills had been a rare species in Yangtze Delta, but became extinct around the middle of 20th century. In 1971, when the US president Richard Nixon made a historical visit to China, a dish was served on the banquet for his honor. It was “perch fish and water shield soup”. In recent years, technicians had successfully reproduced artificially the perch fish, and the dish began to be served to gourmands with sky-high prices in some high grade restaurants. The dish won a reputation from the name of the US president, but many Chinese people had actually no longer known the cultural heritage of Zhang Han’s story.