Palace attendants brought in a tall frame covered in red silk. It looked like a screen, but its size made it stand out as especially grand and impressive.
Mu Yunyao stepped forward and pulled away the silk in one swift motion. Everyone focused their eyes on it, and surprise immediately spread across their faces.
What she had presented was indeed a screen, but an extraordinarily tall one. Its surface held a pale jade tone, giving off a cool shine as if it had been carved from real jade. Instead of the usual patterns or flower embroidery design, it showed an exquisitely detailed map.
The map was magnificent in scale, yet rich in detail. Mountains, rivers, plateaus, plains, cities, and roads were embroidered across the territory of the Dali Dynasty in different-colored threads. Next to the map were several great characters, sharp and forceful as if cut by axe and chisel—
Map of the Dali Dynasty’s Territory!
The Emperor stood up and stepped down from the dais. He stared at the map in amazement. “Yunyao, this map…” The Dali Dynasty was so large that most people could not name all its prefectures and provinces, let alone create such a topographical rendering of such complexity.
Mu Yunyao smiled and said, “In answer to Your Majesty, I have been preparing this gift for over a year. Yue Wang helped me with it. We consulted people from various regions who were skilled in river works, water management, and the lay of the land, and we also searched through a great number of books and records before piecing it together little by little. Your Majesty is wise and sagely, and under your rule, all is peaceful beneath heaven. I offer this territorial map at the year-end banquet, hoping the Dali Dynasty will have lasting peace, and that Your Majesty will have blessings and a long life.”
The officials hurried to their feet and declared in unison, “May the Dali Dynasty enjoy everlasting peace, and may Your Majesty have blessings and long life!”
The Emperor stood before the map, looking at the vast lands of the Dali Dynasty, and a surge of pride rose in his heart. “Good! Yao’er, you truly put a lot of thought into this.”
Yu Wang stepped forward at just the right moment and praised her, “Yunyao claimed her gift was too modest to present, but if a gift like this is considered unworthy, then the rest of our gifts might as well be tossed out onto the street.”
The Emperor nodded, looking at Mu Yunyao with even greater approval. “Yunyao, I must reward you properly. Tell me—what gift would you like? Feel free to say anything.”
“Your Majesty, I am getting married on the eighteenth day of the first month. Since you have offered a reward, then I will not stand on ceremony—please grant me more gold, silver, pearls, and jade for my dowry!”
She spoke honestly, her cheeks faintly flushed with pure delight, and the Emperor could not help laughing aloud. “I heard your grandmother opened her private treasury and let you take whatever you wanted. What is this? Are you planning to marry Junyue while bringing along an entire mountain of gold and silver?”
On one side, Yu Wang—rarely distracted from Min Fanghua even for a moment—found his thoughts turning to what Yue Wang had once said about how much silver Mu Yunyao could earn in a single year. He could not help nodding inwardly. Mu Yunyao was not bringing a mountain of gold and silver with her—she herself was a mountain of gold and silver! And one so vast you could not even see its peak.
Mu Yunyao’s cheeks turned even redder. “Your Majesty, no one ever complains that a dowry is too generous. With a rich dowry, you won’t be bullied by your husband’s family.”
“Rest assured. If Junyue ever dares to bully you, not just your grandmother—even I will stand up for you first.” The Emperor was deeply pleased with her gift. Seeing Mu Yunyao’s bright smile, he almost wished he had a daughter as clever and sweet as her. Still, having a delicate, exquisite young lady as a daughter-in-law was just as good.
The Beijiang envoys’ expressions turned stiff. They endured it for a moment, but in the end, one of them could not hold back. “Greetings, Princess Wenxian. I would like to ask the Princess a question, if I may?”
Mu Yunyao turned to look at the envoy who had spoken, her expression calm and distant. “What does the envoy want to ask?”
“Just now, I happened to glimpse one corner of the map. It seemed that the terrain of Beijiang was also shown there. But since the screen is limited in size, Beijiang’s map wasn’t fully displayed.”
Mu Yunyao looked at him with a puzzled expression, as though she truly did not understand his question. “What I presented to His Majesty is the Dali Dynasty’s territorial map, so naturally it displays the Dali Dynasty’s lands. If you wish for Beijiang to be embroidered on it as well, then you would have to ask His Majesty.”
A burst of quiet laughter ran through the officials nearby.
What Princess Wenxian said was excellent. To have Beijiang embroidered onto it would mean bringing it into the Dali Dynasty’s territory—in other words, Beijiang submitting itself. And not only would you have to request submission, whether it was accepted or not would still depend on His Majesty’s will. It was an answer that filled one’s heart with satisfaction.
The Beijiang envoy’s face grew darker. “Beijiang does not belong to the Dali Dynasty. That’s not what I meant…”
Mu Yunyao looked even more confused. “Then what did you want to ask me?”
“Princess Wenxian, just now there was one section on the map showing the border where Beijiang and the Dali Dynasty meet, and I noticed that part was rendered with exceptional detail…”
That envoy himself was highly skilled at observing terrain and landforms. He had seen that even a small branch stream in Beijiang was clearly marked on the map, and he was inwardly alarmed. He could not help secretly wondering whether the Dali Dynasty had only grasped the terrain of the border regions, or whether they held a complete understanding of the entirety of Beijiang’s geography. If it was the former, then perhaps it was merely a bluff, and there was no great cause for alarm. But if it was the latter, it was enough to make one’s scalp crawl.
When two nations went to war, marching and military formations relied upon timing, terrain, and human unity. Timing could not be controlled and could only be followed. Human unity depended on how well those in power could command hearts and minds, and there was rarely much difference in that regard. Only terrain could really be used to gain an advantage, and even become the deciding factor in victory.
Beijiang and the Dali Dynasty had fought many times before, but the conflicts always ended in a stalemate because the border region was obstructed by plateaus and mountains. No matter which side entered, it was easy to defend and hard to attack. It was the perfect ground for ambushes, making both sides wary of advancing too far. But if the Dali Dynasty possessed a detailed map of Beijiang, it would be like giving themselves a huge advantage and putting Beijiang in danger.
Mu Yunyao frowned slightly and signaled for the attendant nearby to cover the map again with the red silk. “So it turns out the envoy simply found fault with my embroidery. When I made it, I did not think so much of it. The Dali Dynasty’s map was so detailed that, for completeness and beauty, I added more detail to Beijiang’s map as well. Otherwise, if the Beijiang side were left completely blank, it would look too empty. Embroidery is like painting—blank space is important, but where you leave it matters. If it’s only at the edges and corners, it looks ugly.”
When the Beijiang envoy heard that, he was so frustrated that he nearly spat out blood. Who was asking about embroidery? Who wanted to discuss the art of blank space with her?
The Emperor’s eyes filled with amusement. “Yao’er truly has an ingenious mind. Men, take this territorial map to my Treasure Pavilion. Post heavy guards around it. No one is to approach it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Yao’er, in recent years, I have collected quite a few pearl ornaments, jade, and precious stones. When the banquet is over, have them packed up and sent to you in several chests.”
Mu Yunyao was overjoyed and quickly knelt to thank him. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live ten thousand years!”
“Rise. Let the banquet continue.”
The Beijiang envoy still wished to press further. Still, seeing that the ministers of the Dali Dynasty were already on their feet competing to offer toasts, he could only swallow his words back down unwillingly.
The Beijiang Princess lifted her eyes to look at Mu Yunyao, then glanced at Yue Wang, who met her gaze. Lowering her gaze slightly, she brushed her fingers lightly across the wine cup at her side.
To support us, kindly donate through our website. Thank you. π
