During his second southern inspection tour, Emperor Qianlong had seen his fill of the famed mountains and rivers of Suzhou and Hangzhou, and tasted every delicacy the Jiangnan region had to offer. As he journeyed back to the capital and passed through Shengfang Town, he suddenly craved a change of taste. So he and Liu Luoguo, both dressed in commoner's clothes, strolled onto the street. Though small, Shengfang was a vital hub for both land and water transport, boasting no fewer than dozens of restaurants serving Beijing-Tianjin style cuisine. They wandered from east to west, and in the center of the street, right beside a bridge, they spotted a tiny restaurant with just one storefront. A horizontal signboard above the door read "Flavorful and Literary," and beside the entrance hung a cursive calligraphy couplet: "Master of all delicacies under heaven; attracting renowned figures from all directions."
Qianlong was greatly intrigued. During his southern tour, he had visited many famous landscapes, but had never heard of a restaurant associating itself with "literature." This time, he was determined to see what it was all about. Smiling slightly, Qianlong entered the shop with Liu Luoguo. The small restaurant, though not spacious, was bright and clean, adorned with several famous calligraphy and paintings on the walls, giving it a unique charm. Looking around, the place was full of guests; though there was some drinking and games, the atmosphere remained refined and courteous. The restaurant employed only one chef and one waiter.
Qianlong took a seat by the window. Liu Luoguo opened the window, revealing clear river water, lush reeds, scattered fishing sails, and willows swaying gently. Qianlong instantly felt refreshed and at peace.
The young waiter brought two bowls of fragrant tea and said, "Gentlemen, you've come from afar. What would you like to eat?"
Qianlong didn't ask for rice or order any dishes. Instead, he said to the young man, "Looking at your tiny restaurant, your boast is quite large. Can you really master all the delicacies under heaven?"
The waiter replied carelessly, "We manage."
Liu Luoguo said, "We'll give you a challenge. If you can make it, we'll pay double. But if you fail?"
The waiter said, "You may punish us as you see fit!"
Liu Luoguo then patted his own hunched back and said, "Then let my hump be the theme. I want 'blow three times, slap three times. The hunchback navigating an alley'—you must serve one dish and one soup."
The waiter replied, "Alright! Please wait a moment."
In no time, he returned with a plate of charcoal-roasted flatbread and a bowl of scallion-burst sea prawns. Placing them before the guests, he asked, "Is this what the gentlemen ordered?"
Liu Luoguo said, "Not bad at all. I didn't expect the chef to be so clever."
As Qianlong reached for the flatbread, the waiter said, "Wait a moment! Since the food is good, you should eat it according to your own riddle—wouldn't that be even more interesting?"
Qianlong nodded in agreement, blew on the flatbread three times, and slapped it three times. The three men burst into laughter.
Wanting to further test the chef, Qianlong called the waiter again: "Bring us four more dishes."
The waiter said, "Please instruct."
Qianlong slowly recited four lines of poetry:
One red carp stranded on the sandbank,
Two dragons playing with a pearl, lying on a water lily;
Three immortals on the same boat going to a gathering,
Four young phoenixes alighting on a mountain peak.
The waiter again said, "Please wait," and a clatter of pots and pans rang out from the kitchen. Soon, he returned with: a bowl of white rice topped with a wide-eyed braised red carp; a red tray holding a large lotus leaf, on which two steamed eels fought over a "Four Joys" meatball; a large bowl of three-delicacy dumplings; and a plate of steamed rice noodles topped with four golden, crispy fried baby chickens, glistening and fully appetizing in both color and aroma.
The waiter bowed and asked, "Are these the dishes the gentlemen requested?"
Qianlong was about to speak when Liu Luoguo pointed at the eels and asked, "Is this 'two dragons playing with a pearl'?"
The waiter replied calmly, "To be honest, snake soup was already prepared. But my master noticed your accents aren't from Fujian or Guangdong, so he substituted eels instead. If you're not satisfied, we can bring the snake soup immediately?"
Qianlong shot Liu Luoguo a sharp look and said, "There's no need. It's impressive that your master is so thoughtful and skilled in cooking. But I'm curious—what's the meaning behind the 'literary' in your sign?"
The waiter quickly said, "To be honest, my master is highly learned, but he failed the imperial examinations year after year. In anger, he abandoned his scholarly pursuits and took up business, opening this small restaurant. In my view, the business itself is secondary. Actually, he uses food and tea to make literary friends and discuss scholarship, specifically to connect with scholars from all over. I mean—" he pointed to the kitchen next door and lowered his voice—"as long as you recite a poem, my master can create a dish or a soup that matches its imagery."
Qianlong was delighted and said eagerly, "With such a unique skill, why not let us witness it?"
From behind the window, the chef hurriedly said, "Gentlemen, don't believe his exaggerations. Poetry and art are merely metaphors for daily life. To apply them to stir-frying and steaming—wouldn't that be absurd?"
Liu Luoguo urged, "Why not give it a try? It would delight our eyes and satisfy our palates. Please, Master, show us your skill!"
The chef said, "If you really wish to see, I'll embarrass myself! Please give me a theme."
Qianlong said, "Use Du Fu's quatrain as the theme."
"Here goes—embarrassing myself!" The chef said, entering the kitchen to stoke the fire. A clatter of pots rang out again. Sitting by the window, Qianlong and Liu Luoguo heard a "crack!" as two eggs were cracked into the wok. The chef picked up chopsticks, gently stirring two poached eggs, and sang: "Two golden orioles singing among the emerald willows." Then he flipped the egg whites upward and said, "A line of white egrets soaring into the blue sky." He then lifted the lid of the pot, and instantly, mist filled the air. Qianlong quickly said, "The window frames the eternal snow of the Western Ranges." The waiter pointed to eggshells floating in the river and added, "Moored by the door, ships from Wu sail ten thousand miles."
With that, he served a bowl of fragrant alfalfa soup. Qianlong took the bowl and exclaimed, "Admirable! Truly admirable!"
The chef humbly replied, "Purely contrived and forced, an insult to true scholarship. Gentlemen, please don't laugh."
Qianlong said, "Though not perfectly accurate, it's uniquely creative. Please lend me a brush and ink."
The waiter quickly brought writing tools, ground the ink, and Liu Luoguo laid out the paper. Qianlong took the brush and boldly wrote: "Though the room is small, it can host guests from all under heaven; though the stove is narrow, it can prepare both Manchu and Han banquets."