During the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (785-805), there was an official in Wannian County, Chang’an, known as Mr. Li, who was responsible for apprehending bandits. One spring when the weather was mild and fish were at their freshest, he invited several close friends to a banquet at a government pavilion on the west side of the street, intending to enjoy wine and freshly prepared fish. Everyone was in high spirits, chatting and laughing heartily, thoroughly enjoying the occasion.
Just as everyone was waiting for the feast to begin, a stranger suddenly walked into the pavilion. He did not exchange greetings with anyone, nor did he show any intention of leaving; instead, he stood quietly to one side, watching Mr. Li and his companions with a cold, somewhat arrogant expression.
Finding his behavior rather abrupt, one of the guests asked what special abilities he possessed to act in such a manner. The man replied bluntly: “I know exactly what food a person will eat each day.”
After hearing this, everyone’s interest was immediately piqued. Mr. Li smiled and pointed to the table, asking: “Today we are eating fish here. Look at everyone present. Will anyone here not get to eat it?”
The man smiled faintly and said calmly yet confidently: “Only you won’t get to eat it.” At these words, everyone froze in surprise. As the host, Mr. Li had arranged the food and drink himself. How could he possibly be the one left without a meal?
The wager
Feeling a sudden pang of displeasure, he retorted: “I am the host; I prepared all this food and drink myself. How could I possibly be the one left without a meal? If you are right, I will give you five thousand coins. If you are talking nonsense, you will naturally face the consequences, and everyone here can serve as a witness.” The man remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned about the wager.
Feeling defiant, Mr. Li urged the cooks to hurry with the preparations. Before long, the fish dish was ready and about to be served. Just then, a messenger arrived on horseback bearing a message that the Prefect of Jingzhao urgently summoned Mr. Li to attend to official business. As one cannot disobey an official’s orders, Mr. Li had no choice but to leave immediately.
Fearing that his absence might delay the meal, he told his guests that since the matter was urgent, they need not wait for him and should begin eating so the food would be at its freshest.
Mr. Li still had his earlier wager in mind. Before leaving, he specifically instructed the cook to set aside two plates of fish slices for him, no matter what, so he could eat them upon his return, thereby proving that the stranger’s words were wrong. Everyone found this quite amusing, so they began drinking and dining while waiting to see the outcome.
An unexpected turn of events
A long time passed before Magistrate Li finished his official business and hurried back to the government pavilion on horseback. By then, the banquet had ended, and most of the guests had eaten their fill and left. Only the two plates of fish set aside specifically for him remained on the table.
Seeing this, Magistrate Li felt a secret sense of satisfaction and was convinced that the stranger had been talking nonsense after all. He took off his outer robe, sat down, and picked up his chopsticks. Before digging into the two plates of fish, he couldn’t resist speaking up to rebuke the man, insisting that his earlier words had been nothing but bluster.
Yet the stranger remained unfazed and did not show the slightest sign of panic. He said calmly that there would be no mistake in what he had said, and he didn’t know what he was being blamed for.
Mr. Li grew even more displeased. Pointing to the fish dishes before him, he said that with the food right in front of him, it was simply too arrogant to claim he couldn’t eat it. He also reminded the man that they had made an agreement earlier, under which if the man spoke falsely, he would naturally face punishment.
Before he could finish speaking, a strange sound suddenly came from the roof of the pavilion. The next moment, a large chunk of the mud plastering the ceiling collapsed, covering an area of several square feet, and crashed directly onto the table. The bowls, plates, and cups were instantly smashed to pieces, and the two plates of fish fillets that had been neatly arranged were now buried in mud and dust, completely ruined and inedible.
The sudden turn of events left everyone present completely stunned. Mr. Li stood frozen in place, his earlier anger vanishing in an instant, replaced by utter astonishment. Only then did he realize that the man’s words had actually come true. Although the fish dishes were right before his eyes, they had been ruined and were completely inedible. It was obvious the fish could not have been eaten.
Coming to his senses, Mr. Li hurriedly asked the cook if there was any leftover fish. The cook replied that all the fish had been used up and that none was left. With that, Mr. Li was thoroughly defeated.
Faced with this outcome, he felt deep awe toward the stranger, along with shame for his own earlier arrogance, contempt, and reproach. Finally, in accordance with their earlier agreement, he generously rewarded the man by presenting him with 5,000 coins to fulfill his promise.
What had begun as a carefree spring banquet ultimately took an unexpected turn, leading Mr. Li to realize firsthand that, in the affairs of the mortal world, the arrangements of the immortals are indeed beyond human control.
Source: Journal of Taiping Guangji, Volume 1503
Translated by Audrey Wang
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