The thought of water shield perch originated from the allusion of Zhang Jiying in the Western Jin Dynasty.

Because Zhang Jiying did not want to be involved in the rebellion of the Eight Kings of the Jin Dynasty, he resigned from his official position and returned to the Wusong River on the pretext of missing the delicious water shield and seabass stew in his hometown. "Book of Jin·Biography of Zhang Han" records that because Han saw the autumn wind blowing, he thought about wild vegetables, water shield soup and seabass in Wuzhong. He said: Life is precious and aspirational, how can you control an official for thousands of miles just to get a good name, so he returned home with his orders. For this reason, Zhang Han also wrote the famous "Song of Si Wu Jiang".

The autumn wind blows and leaves fly, and the water of Wujiang River is full of fish. I haven't returned home after traveling three thousand miles, I can't help but look up to the sky with sadness. Li Bai, the immortal poet 500 years later, highly admired Zhang Han. He wrote a heartfelt poem about it, "I don't see you in Wuzhong. Zhang Han said he was born, and the autumn wind suddenly recalled his journey to the east of the Yangtze River." From then on, when all the ancient scholar-bureaucrats were depressed and frustrated in officialdom, they would sigh as if they were thinking about water shields.

Ambiguous feelings

The so-called "thoughts of water shield and perch" in Chinese history cannot actually be simply interpreted as longing for water shield and perch in the south of the Yangtze River, or simply understood As a feeling of homesickness. It can be said that it includes the usual political anguish of Chinese politicians and scholar-bureaucrats, as well as the ambiguous feelings arising from it.

Poets not only understood Zhang Han's move to resign and return home because he missed the food in his hometown, but also praised him. Su Dongpo also had some wonderful words. Ji Ying is really a fairy in water, and he is a wise man even if he is a perch. Ouyang Xiu wrote a very emotional poem for Zhang Han. The clear words are not inferior to Jiangdong's famous poems, and the sadness of Chu's return to hiding is difficult to express. Homesickness suddenly arises from the private wind, white clam, water shield, vegetable and perch soup.