For months, the capital had been in turmoil. The emperor was reluctant to stir up more trouble, so in the case of the Cao Textile Commissioner, he didn't launch a high - profile and thorough investigation. He simply punished the Cao family and called it off.
Even so, the court and the public were still in a state of panic. However, the little princess from the South Seas caught the emperor's eye because she had identified the blue peacocks and completely quashed the attempt of the remnants of the warlord king to stage a comeback.
To show that he rewarded and punished fairly, the emperor summoned her to the Golden Hall and personally asked her what reward she wanted.
The little princess still clearly remembered what she and Li Ying had discussed that day. She knelt respectfully in the hall, trembling with awe. "Your Majesty, under the heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the sea, all people are the king's subjects."
"The vassal state of the South Seas is favored by Your Majesty and is honored to share your worries. This is already a great blessing for your servant girl."
She kowtowed and carefully observed the emperor's expression before gently replying, "Your servant girl dares to speculate on Your Majesty's will. Please forgive me."
"Your servant girl privately thinks that although this turmoil was caused by the peacock - feather robe, the peacock gold thread is so colorful and beautiful. It would be a great pity if it were to be buried."
"Moreover, such a painstakingly crafted masterpiece should be enjoyed by the most respected lord of the world. Your servant girl doesn't want to see Your Majesty miss out on such a wonderful fabric because of the mistakes of the Cao Textile Commissioner. Therefore, your servant girl would like to volunteer to raise peacocks for Your Majesty."
The little princess analyzed in detail the differences between the South Seas blue peacocks and the Central Plains green peacocks.
Using the naturally shed tail feathers of the blue peacocks to spin gold thread would not be as cruel as what the Cao Textile Commissioner did by plucking them out. And the thread would still be as shiny and no less beautiful.
Sure enough, when the emperor heard that the little princess from the South Seas was willing to return to the South Seas and cooperate with Lu Xunguang to spin peacock gold thread and then use the tapestry - weaving method to make dragon and phoenix robes, he looked thoughtful and began to calculate secretly.
As Li Ying had expected, although he strongly advocated thrift, in fact, he just wanted to gain the reputation of a "wise emperor through the ages" both in life and after death.
A person so eager for glory and achievement, having seen the extremely luxurious and beautiful peacock - feather robe with his own eyes, how could he not covet it?
Su Buzhi also advised, "Your Majesty, I've heard that oranges become trifoliate oranges when grown north of the Huai River. The climate and scenery in the capital are very different from those in the South Seas. Even if we send all the South Seas blue peacocks to the Beast Garden, it may be difficult to breed them successfully."
"Moreover, if there are only peacocks and dragon birds in the Beast Garden, it will be rather monotonous. Why not approve the princess's request and let her return to the South Seas to supervise the production of peacock gold thread?"
The South Seas already had the duty of cultivating and presenting South Sea pearls. Adding the production of peacock gold thread would not be an extra burden.
The important task of weaving tribute silk with peacock gold thread should naturally be entrusted to Lu Xunguang. With him secretly in charge, it's unlikely that the South Seas would act rashly. If there were any abnormalities, the capital could also make early preparations.
While the emperor was still hesitating, Uncle Pei also remonstrated, "Your Majesty, the South Seas has just submitted. Several strict investigations may cause panic. In my opinion, it would be better to show both kindness and power. Sending the princess back would demonstrate Your Majesty's trust. The people in the South Seas will surely be more grateful for Your Majesty's boundless grace."
The emperor pondered for a moment. He seemed to think that keeping a princess in the capital as a hostage was meaningless. He nodded and finally approved.
The little princess from the South Seas shouted "Long live the emperor" three times, thanked the emperor for his great grace, and accepted the task of spinning peacock gold thread. But she didn't rush to leave.
She still remembered Li Ying's instructions and carefully told the emperor that the blue and green peacocks must not be housed together.
In the future world where Li Ying came from, there were only more than a hundred green peacocks left, and they were already on the verge of extinction.
Apart from the impact of human activities on the peacocks' habitats, a major factor was that after the introduction of the blue peacocks, the bloodlines of the hybrid peacocks were no longer pure.
The tufted crests of the green peacocks, which were like flames, would lose their ability to stand up if there was even a trace of blue - peacock genes, and they would also lose the proud and extraordinary charm of the "dragon birds".
Now, in order to bring down the Cao Textile Commissioner, Li Ying had been forced to introduce the South Seas blue peacocks. Naturally, she had to take precautions and properly protect the native green peacocks.
The little princess, following what Li Ying had said, proposed to the emperor to establish a "Dragon Bird Protection Base" in the southern border where the A Man tribe had lived for generations.
The emperor naturally agreed, and A Man, who was a favorite of the queen, took on the important task of managing the "protection base" without hesitation.
After all this negotiation, the little princess from the South Seas was finally able to return to her country smoothly, no longer having to suffer the hardship of living as an outsider in the capital.
Lu Xunguang took over all the affairs of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau as a matter of course. He was also ordered to spin tribute silk with peacock gold thread using the tapestry - weaving method. He was awarded the rank of provincial administrative commissioner, a second - rank civil official with a coral cap, and was known as the "red - capped merchant". He reached the pinnacle of his career and was extremely prominent for a while.
Only A Man showed no sign of joy when she heard the news.
She pouted her cherry - like lips rarely and looked at Li Ying with a sad face and teary eyes.
"Sister, did A Man do something wrong and cause you trouble? Otherwise, why are you sending me back home and not keeping me by your side?"
She had always been a carefree and innocent girl. Seeing her in such a pitiful state, Li Ying felt really heart - broken.
She stroked A Man's soft hair and whispered, "A Man, do you know why I'm doing this?"
Seeing A Man still shaking her head blankly, just as Li Ying was about to explain, she heard a few hearty laughs from outside the door.
"At the queen mother's birthday banquet, Miss A Man's peacock dance was truly celestial. Her transcendent charm was really amazing. Now that I see her in private, she is still so charming. I'm really admiring!"
Li Ying and A Man looked up at the same time and saw Uncle Pei, who was smiling and sizing them up.
With his noble status, no one in the mansion dared to stop him.
Li Ying greeted him and subtly blocked A Man behind her.
A Man was determined to pursue her art of dancing and had amazed everyone. Although she was now in the good graces of the queen, she was still a commoner. For a high - ranking official like Uncle Pei, it would be very easy for him to forcefully take her if he wanted to.
Uncle Pei also noticed Li Ying's defensiveness and said with a smile, "Although it's true that a gentleman yearns for a fair maiden, I've already made my feelings clear. Miss Li, you know who I love. Why do you guard against me like a thief?"
His words were so magnanimous that Li Ying felt a bit petty.
Li Ying blushed slightly, but A Man didn't understand. She stared at Uncle Pei with her bright almond eyes blankly.
"Miss A Man is so innocent. No wonder you've been working so hard to protect her."
Uncle Pei saw through Li Ying's thoughts with just a few words.
A Man had gained a lot of popularity in the capital recently, and everyone respected her as a "master". But as a woman and a dancer by origin, in the eyes of the noble families in the capital, she was still of low status.
And being ordered to take care of the "Dragon Bird Protection Area" was the only protection Li Ying could get for A Man, protecting her from being coveted by the playboys and being forced to become a caged canary.
Li Ying hoped that A Man could shine on the stage she loved and always be a free bird in the southern border with unbroken wings.