The next day, Lin Hong returned to the capital with Zhenzhen and her party, accompanied by Zhao Ai, who rode close behind Lin Hong, never leaving his side. Noticing Lin Hong’s dark circles and poor complexion, Zhenzhen asked if he had not rested well the previous night. Before Lin Hong could answer, Zhao Ai chuckled and said, “I’ve never seen anyone as diligent and studious as my uncle. Last night, he sat alone by the window, reading by candlelight. I urged him several times to go to bed, but he refused. Eventually, I fell asleep first. When I woke in the middle of the night, he was still reading. This morning, when I got up, I found him slumped over the desk, asleep, but even then, he was restless. The slightest noise would wake him, and he still clutched that scroll in his hand… So this is how talented scholars are made through such arduous study. I am truly in awe, truly in awe.”
Zhenzhen knew that Lin Hong had stayed awake alone to avoid sharing a room with Zhao Ai, but she couldn’t openly reveal the truth and rebuke Zhao Ai. Instead, she shot him a fierce glare in secret. Zhao Ai pretended not to notice and simply smiled it off. Meanwhile, Lin Hong rode ahead of them, his expression neither pleased nor annoyed, offering no comment on the events of the previous night.
Upon returning to the palace, Zhao Ai first went to see his father and reported to the Emperor the plight of the disaster victims and refugees he had witnessed along the way. Soon after, the self-impeachment memorial from Xu Jichuan, the Prefect of Pingjiang, arrived in Lin’an. As Zhao Ai had anticipated, the Emperor did not punish Xu Jichuan. Instead, he publicly commended him in court for his timely decision to open the granaries to aid the refugees. Following this, the Emperor dispatched Ji Jinglan to Shaoxing to dismiss the prefect and other officials who had concealed the disaster and failed in relief efforts, appointing upright and honest officials to oversee the disaster relief.
Xu Jichuan’s memorial made no mention of Zhao Ai’s guidance, which suited Zhao Ai perfectly, as he had not wanted the Emperor to know he had been in contact with officials outside the capital. The Emperor was displeased with Zhao Ai’s unauthorized departure from the capital and had initially intended to punish him. However, considering that Zhao Ai had remained mindful of the disaster and the people’s suffering throughout his journey, he could not bring himself to impose harsh penalties, and the contemplated punishment was quietly dropped.
The Emperor summoned Lin Hong, who confessed to the crime of leaving the capital without permission. Though displeased, the Emperor expressed his high regard and expectations for Lin Hong, demanding a promise that he would not act so recklessly again. Lin Hong agreed, kowtowed in gratitude for the imperial grace, and requested permission to prepare a “Tail-Burning Feast” for the Emperor.
The Tail-Burning Feast originated in the Tang Dynasty. When a scholar’s status was elevated—such as passing the imperial examinations, receiving a promotion, or being appointed to a new position—colleagues and friends would often host a grand feast to celebrate. Additionally, newly appointed officials traditionally presented food to the Emperor. Feasts held on such occasions were called “Tail-Burning Feasts.” Now, following the tradition for newly appointed officials, Lin Hong requested to present food to the Emperor, who gladly consented but advised, “I cannot eat too much alone, so there’s no need for extravagance. Just prepare a few dishes… I’ve heard that people outside the palace, depending on their status, prefer dishes with distinct flavors, broadly categorized as official cuisine, literati cuisine, and commoner cuisine. Why not prepare one or two dishes from each style for me to taste?”
Lin Hong immediately agreed. After some brief preparations, he entered the palace three days later and, as arranged by the Emperor, borrowed the imperial kitchen. Without any assistance, he prepared three dishes of distinctly different styles.
First presented were two dishes of official cuisine: Twisted Flower Cloud-Dream Meat and Water-Refined Calf.
The Twisted Flower Cloud-Dream Meat consisted of sliced cold meat arranged in circular pieces. The outer layer of the meat was reddish-brown, and the cross-section revealed pure white fat and pink lean meat, with translucent lines of skin swirling within, intertwined with the fat, resembling flowing clouds.Zhenzhen recognized from the color and texture that the meat was made from pork knuckle, secretly surprised that Lin Hong had chosen this meat he usually disdained. Following palace protocol, Lin Hong invited her to taste first. Zhenzhen picked up a slice and quickly deduced the method for making Twisted Flower Cloud-Dream Meat: take a pork knuckle, remove the bone, marinate it, then spread the skin and meat flat, roll it into a cylinder, wrap it in cloth, tie it with string, boil it in a savory broth, and after cooling, unwrap and slice.
The pork used was rich in flavor, filling the mouth with a lingering aroma of fat. The fat was delicate, the lean meat tender, and the skin slightly chewy, offering a complex texture when chewed—all excellent qualities. However, there was one obvious flaw: it was too salty. Not unbearably so, but after eating a slice, one would crave a drink of soup immediately.
The Emperor’s reaction confirmed this. After swallowing a slice of Twisted Flower Cloud-Dream Meat, he raised his wine cup and took a sip. But he did not immediately point out the flaw. Instead, he smiled and asked Lin Hong, “I’ve heard that scholars and officials of our dynasty dislike pork. Why has the Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service chosen it for an official banquet dish today?”
Lin Hong bowed slightly and replied, “Although scholars and officials dislike pork, this dish is beloved by everyone from the prime minister down to local officials. When the Tang dynasty official Wei Juyuan was appointed Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, he presented this Twisted Flower Cloud-Dream Meat at the Tail-Burning Feast offered to Emperor Zhongzong. Later generations considered it an auspicious dish, so it became common in official banquets.”
The second dish was named “Water-Refined Calf,” but Zhenzhen tasted that the ingredient was not veal. Instead, extremely tender northern lamb was boiled in rosewater until just cooked, then cut into small pieces and roasted until crispy, sprinkled with salt and finely ground saffron and cumin. The exterior was crispy, the interior tender, and the rose, saffron, and cumin blended into an enchanting, exotic aroma, making it delicious. However, again, too much salt had been used.
The Emperor also praised it, commending the seasoning’s fragrance and the meat’s dual texture. But he questioned Lin Hong, “You named this dish Water-Refined Calf, so why is lamb used?”
Lin Hong answered, “This dish traditionally uses veal in official banquets, but I did not wish to use veal, so I substituted it with lamb.”
The Emperor immediately understood and sighed, “Cattle are plowing animals, and both the palace and commoners often use ox-drawn carts. Therefore, the court has never encouraged eating beef, and unless for sacrificial rites, cattle are not slaughtered in the palace. I never imagined officials across the land would have no qualms, not only eating beef but even slaughtering calves… Alas, the principle of ‘do not harm the young’ has long been forgotten by them.”
The Emperor set down his silver chopsticks, visibly displeased. Zhenzhen immediately ordered the Water-Refined Calf to be removed and signaled Lin Hong to serve the next dish.
Lin Hong then presented two literary dishes.
One was “Chrysanthemum Sprout Fritter,” made by blanching fresh chrysanthemum sprouts, coating them in a batter of licorice water and yam flour, and frying them in oil. After tasting it, the Emperor praised the elegant ingredients and flavor, saying, “It has the refreshing charm of the Chu gardens.”
The other was an extremely fine green noodle, served in a crystal plate, vibrant and lovely. Lin Hong invited the Emperor to season it with the accompanying vinegar and sauce. The Emperor followed the suggestion and tasted it, his eyes immediately lighting up. He turned to Zhenzhen and said, “These noodles seem to contain vegetable juice, but the fragrance is uniquely different from everyday vegetables. How were they made?”
Zhenzhen was tasting it for the first time as well and was momentarily taken aback. Blushing slightly, she said, “I… I cannot identify the vegetable used in this either…”"It's sophora leaves," Lin Hong explained gently on her behalf, a faint smile in his eyes. "Selecting the finest, most elegant sophora leaves, briefly scalding them in boiling water, then grinding them finely and straining the clear juice to mix with flour to make noodles—this is called 'Sophora Leaf Noodles.' Du Fu once made this dish and even composed a poem about it, which says: 'In the vast, dew-chilled palace, ice is opened, and a clear jade pot is presented. As the sovereign enjoys the cool evening, this flavor is also timely.' Tonight still carries the lingering heat of summer, and Your Majesty uses this to dispel the heat, perfectly matching the scene."
The Emperor smiled and said, "Previously, the official dishes were all meat-based. Though rich and fragrant, they were somewhat greasy. But this mountain and forest flavor, upon entering the mouth, immediately refreshes the spirit and leaves a lingering fragrance on the palate." After a moment's thought, he added, "Moreover, these two scholarly dishes are perfectly balanced in saltiness. The official dishes just now were too salty—could it be due to over-pickling?"
Lin Hong replied calmly, "Those who dwell in the mountains and forests have no desires or demands, so their tastes naturally tend toward the light. In contrast, high officials and nobles often favor rich and heavy flavors, so an abundance of oil and salt is hardly surprising."
The Emperor nodded, drank a cup of wine, and then ordered Lin Hong to present the commoners' dish.
Lin Hong had prepared only one commoners' dish, which was now brought from the courtyard to the Jiaming Hall. The palace attendants opened the food container, took out the dish, and presented it to Lin Hong, who personally carried it to Zhenzhen.
The official dishes had been served in gold vessels, the scholarly dishes in silver vessels, but this one was served on a coarse porcelain plate, containing a heap of yellowish-white mush with residues of rice and beans, mixed with some grain husks.
It looked like chaff. Puzzled, Zhenzhen tasted a small amount, and her surprise only grew. She widened her eyes and looked at Lin Hong, who calmly nodded slightly to her, indicating that she could offer it to the Emperor.
Seeing this, Zhenzhen understood that he must have a deeper meaning, so she had no choice but to present this commoners' dish to the Emperor.
Upon seeing the dish's appearance, the Emperor was also taken aback. But upon second thought, considering Lin Hong's reverence for natural flavors, he thought that although this dish looked like chaff, its seasoning might have its own subtlety, or perhaps it even contained a hint of divine flavor. Thus, he cheerfully scooped a large spoonful into his mouth.
The smile he had prepared to show Lin Hong instantly vanished. After a moment of stunned silence, he hurriedly spat out the food in his mouth.
It looked like chaff, and it tasted like chaff, with no saltiness at all, and even a faint hint of sourness.
After spitting it out, the Emperor took the towel Zhenzhen hastily handed him, wiped his mouth, and then threw the towel heavily to the ground. Slapping the table, he demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"
Lin Hong showed no panic. He rose from his seat, faced the Emperor, and bowed. "What Your Majesty has tasted through these dishes today is precisely the difference between official dishes, scholarly dishes, and commoners' dishes: heavy salt, light salt, and no salt. The wine and meat of the wealthy inevitably seek rich flavors; scholars, with their indifference to fame and fortune, can still satisfy themselves; but the poor and lowly commoners—how can they speak of sweetness or bitterness!"
The Emperor fell silent, and after a moment, he slowly asked Lin Hong, "So, you are using these dishes to offer advice, directly pointing out the flaws of the salt voucher system?"
Lin Hong kowtowed and said, "The dynasty implemented the salt voucher system, ordering prefectures and counties to establish offices to control and sell salt, originally to curb the excessive profits of salt merchants, stabilize salt prices, and benefit the people. However, some officials in the salt bureaus of certain prefectures and counties have taken advantage of this to seek profit, exploiting salt producers, extorting salt merchants, and even forcing commoners to buy inferior salt under the guise of household salt quotas. These abuses are particularly severe in Fujian Circuit, where salt producers often go bankrupt as a result, and the people, despite paying high prices, struggle to obtain salt in a timely manner, inevitably leading to widespread discontent. This matter concerns the people's livelihood. If left unaddressed, once grievances accumulate and erupt, it may not bode well for the state."Lin Hong once again recounted his observations and knowledge regarding the flaws of the salt voucher system. The Emperor pondered deeply, then let out a long sigh after a moment. "I have long been aware of these issues, but the salt voucher system has been in use for many years, spanning several generations of emperors. To abolish it cannot be accomplished overnight."
Lin Hong replied, "If a person develops an abscess, should they avoid treatment merely out of fear of pain and allow it to worsen? If it is not promptly incised, drained, and cleansed of pus and decay, it will inevitably damage tendons and rot bones, festering beyond recovery."
That day, the discussion on the salt voucher system ended with the Emperor's silence. However, he did not ignore Lin Hong's counsel. Soon after, he consulted with his ministers on the matter and resolutely abolished the salt voucher system in Fujian Circuit. He also dispatched officials to rigorously investigate the officials of the salt bureaus across various circuits, putting an end to related corruption. Furthermore, he announced that the court would decide whether to implement or abolish the salt voucher system based on the specific circumstances of each region.
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