Giuyara, Yi Ti
314 AC
Royal House was, for all intents and purposes, a maze.
No doubt, as Mormont followed Mao, Po, and Shu out into the main corridor, the building had been designed that way on purpose so as to dissuade the particularly curious amongst the peasantry from exploring the vast complex of hallways and private offices. Mao and his people would have an extra layer of protection in that sense.
The dining room, reserved for official members of the government, was placed on the second floor. As such, when they reached the end of the main corridor, they walked out onto an angular-shaped catwalk overlooked the entryway of Royal House itself.
As Mormont passed by, he spared a quick glance to the rows of black-haired heads who had lined up earlier that morning to speak with the four secretaries at the front desks. Not even a single one of them had looked up at him. A clamor of voices could be heard from the smallfolk who were speaking with the dignitaries, as well as those waiting in line.
Not much variation in coloring, I suppose, he thought plainly to himself. Black hair, pale-yellow skin, brown eyes. All of these YiTish more or less looked the same at first glance.
Then again, he and his countrymen probably seemed to all look alike to them.
He continued following Mao out of the corner of his eye as they crossed the catwalk-largely because the older man was closest to him. Just as Mormont saw Po and Shu take a sharp left turn into another corridor, something… felt off for a moment.
Mormont frowned. What was it? His mind snapped back with an immediate answer, and he instinctively-though not really knowing why-glanced back out at the crowd of peasantry gathered below.
Not all of the heads were bare. Some were covered, but that wasn't abnormal. It was the same in Westeros. So why did he have such a strong, and rather uncanny feeling of recognition?
Wait… There was someone standing towards the pair of heavy wooden doors at the entrance.
A taller frame with a round-shaped head, topped in a patchy dark brown woolen cloak, though the face was largely obscured from Mormont's view. It was one he swore he'd seen before, and quite recently at that…
Of course! The man he'd caught looking at him in the alleyway on the ride up to Royal House! But surely it wasn't him who was waiting patiently in line down below. There were obviously plenty of other folks who wore similar cloaks in such poor shape.
Right?
"Zūnjià!"
Mormont returned to the present and glanced to his left.
Mao was waiting for him toward the left corridor now, and hurriedly waved him over.
He gave one last look to the cloaked man, who hadn't appeared to noticed Mormont standing on the upper catwalk, before walking briskly back over to Mao. They continued their pace as they went down the passage of cream-colored walls and marble flooring, their boot heels clicking audibly.
Not a chance, It couldn't be, Mormont thought to himself with a slight shake of the head.
He was being paranoid. He had to be. Even if it was the same man, it meant fuck all. The man was likely some farmer from the countryside who came in to talk about getting new shoes for his horse. Or perhaps even to ask for a loan. Must've been a pretty poor farmer, in that case. Not exactly anything to write home about, now was it? Oh well.
Mormont put aside the slight unease he felt and forged ahead.
It was Po who led from the front. down the corridor of finely plastered walls adorned with beams made from red pine and fir wood. They took a right turn, and Mormont was met with a line of doors leading into offices that were placed symmetrically on each side of the hall. Oil paintings depicting nature settings were hung on the walls, but these were lacking any of the natural colors one might see out among the mountains. One picture showed a series of passing hills painted with grey to show off the trees, and red for the leaves and brush. In the distance, a gleaming white sun poured its light into the setting, illuminating it in an almost heavenly glow.
Pretty. Far too pretty to be in Westeros, he thought to himself.
Two more left turns, and they arrived at the end of the road, seemingly. There was a small waiting area, with a coffee table surrounded by five small chairs and a tall bookshelf set against the wall. Mormont guessed they'd be heading into one of the offices to continue discussing business.
He was quickly proven right when Po immediately pressed open the last door on the left with a soft click. Mormont was surprised to see yet another door not even three feet on the other side. The others went in, and so did Mormont.
It was Shu who waited for him to step inside, and who gently closed shut both of the doors behind him, locking them each one at a time.
The lounge-for that was what it resembled-had been dimly lit in the corners. Light from the roaring fireplace had reflected off the cream colored walls. Above, the dark wooden ceiling curved in an high upwards arch, making it seem almost like a black void. In the middle of the room was a grand rectangular shaped table with various maps and books spread out over it. Mormont was almost reminded of Aegon's Painted Table, from when he last visited his little brother and Aunt Daenerys on Dragonstone.
On the wall across from the table were two shelves. One of them was taller, and obviously meant for harboring books. The other however, had been noticeably shorter and narrower. It had exactly four rows, and within these rows were various letters and documents which had been wrapped in leather bindings or were folded into neat envelopes.
Reports from Mao's operatives? Perhaps.
Mao had not missed his rather detached inspection. "This room, Zūnjià, was specifically designed so as to not let out any sound from within. An explosion could go off and the people downstairs would never hear it."
"Forgive me if I'm somewhat skeptical, Mao." Mormont said, knowing full-well that the other man was probably correct-though Mormont himself didn't know how that would've been possible.
His host had only given him a rather crooked smile in response, but left it at that.
Mormont was immediately shown toward the grand table in the center of the lounge. Almost immediately, he recognized the largest of the two maps set on top of it.
An enlarged portrayal of Yi Ti set in a colorless canvas. The paper was thick and properly aged, and even slightly torn at the corners. Mormont got the impression that it had been used often, and for quite a long time at that. Almost like a map one would take out on the road. It started at the bottom, where the Jade Sea lay just below Yin. Mormont glanced up to the top of the map and saw that it cut off above a small body of water, which he assumed was the Shrinking Sea. The lands above that extended further, but was only labled with a few words in the YiTish language.
The second map, however, was slightly perplexing. It lay sequestered on the farther half of the table, and was clearly far more expansive. Mormont saw Westeros on the western edges of it, and had scanned it along eastward until he found Asshai. He was even more confused when he saw that the map itself extended far beyond the Shadowlands, and went even further along the Saffron Straits.
Blazes… he kept himself from smoothing back his hair out of the rather shocking realization that Ulthos in its entirety had been mapped out, as well as the new colossal landmass that was out on the other side of the Mountains of the Morn.
Oh how the scholars of the Citadel would weep! The maps he'd been shown by Maester Therrin had only just ended at the Grey Waste and the Shadowlands-what in the Seven Hells did this mean? Had the YiTish discovered lands out beyond the Far East, or at least what his own country had considered the Far East?
He shouldn't have been so shocked. Yet here he was-a newborn stepping out into the wide world all on his own. Why wouldn't the YiTish know more about the world than Westeros? They'd historically been around far longer.
"As you can see, Zūnjià," Mao had instantly recaptured his divided attention, pointing toward the map of Yi Ti. "We have already marked out our chosen suspects. I will show them to you,"
"Right," Mormont forced himself to tear away his gaze from the fully developed map of the Known World and back to the task at hand.
The map of Yi Ti encompassed the entirety of the Empire. Even beyond the region which Duncan knew made up the Northern Provinces. There was a sect of the map in the north that had been bordered off and marked with a distinct, albeit faded skull and crossbones. Written underneath the skull were a series of YiTish words, all of which meant naught to him.
"What's this place up here?" he asked.
"That is the Plains of the Jogos Nhai." The answer came swiftly. "Though these people are hardly relevant to the Empire at this time."
"How's that?"
Mao pursed his lips. "The Jogos Nhai are savages who live to the north. They are a most barbaric people, and would have nothing to do with us altogether. The feeling is mutual. Despite the longstanding animosity between us, they keep to themselves, and would sooner kill anyone who comes out beyond our borders and into their lands."
Well, that was rather enlightening. And informative. "And I don't supposed they'd support a rampaging madman set on causing mayhem and destruction?"
"Not in the least, Zūnjià." Was that a hint of dismissal in the older man's tone? "Though they are a backward society, the Jogos Nhai are ultimately united. They live together in tribes, and do not concern themselves with the matters of outsiders."
Mormont decided that Mao was hinting to him to get back to the rest of the Empire. He did so.
He found the thick red line that served as the official borders between Yi Ti and the other lands beyond it. He followed it until he saw five jutting castle symbols to the northeast. "I assume those are the Five Forts, then."
Mao nodded again in approval. "Correct, Zūnjià."
The map had been riddled with metal pins, each of them had a small string of red fabric tied to it. The pins were spread out across the Empire, in each of the four Great Provinces that held the lesser kingdoms within them. There must have been over a couple hundred or so regions within the north, east, west, and southern corners of the Empire. Each of them obviously richer and more powerful than one of our Great Houses, I'm sure.
In a matter of moments, he counted all of the pins in the map. There were just over two-hundred of them, all connected to eachother by red strings. Most of them had been placed within the nineteen territories in the Northern Provinces, though there were others in the other four corners of the Empire, spread out among the various kingdoms and regions. Lastly, there were three pins which had been marked with yellow silk. They too were in the Northern Provinces.
Likely the rulers suspected of sheltering the Yellow King and his followers, Mormont surmised.
And the red pins? Those had to be the villages or towns which had been raped by the Cult of Starry Wisdom. Without a doubt.
It was all very thorough. Rather professional and efficient. So what in the blazes was Mormont supposed to do with all of this?
Mormont scratched his head idly. He knew why he was brought here, but he didn't exactly know what Mao was expecting from him. After all, it seemed as if the older man had everything figured out already. There were three somewhat definitive suspects on the board. What was he, Mormont, meant to make of it all?
He turned to his host. "I'm not quite sure what you want me to make of it all. How exactly is it you expect me to contribute here?"
"For the present moment?" Mao asked, spreading his hands. "A fresh perspective."
Perspective? Well that was about as vague as a bowl of brown. Not much to discern there.
Mao elaborated, likely knowing that Duncan might need a hand to get started. "Not all of our provinces have been pummeled by the Cult of Starry Wisdom. However, all of us here share a rather grudging respect for these people. We believe them smart enough to hide, so to speak, in plain sight."
"So you suspect they're hiding in one of the provinces that's been attacked?"
"Yes, Zūnjià." The offer to continue his analysis didn't need to be said.
It had crossed Mormont's mind that Mao was placing a lot of faith in him over this. Had Po and Shu-both of whom were now standing on the opposite side of the table watching him like a pair of hawks-also shared Mao's sentiment? Unlikely. But knowing how the YiTish operated, they ultimately trusted in their commander's judgement of him.
Alright then, Mormont forced himself to be ice-cold. He had a job to do; to find out where precisely the Yellow King was hiding so a grand political scandal could be avoided.
So… how could he best do that?
First things first, he'd need to know the basics about the suspects that Mao and his men had already put forth. They would need to be scrutinized.
The three yellow-marked pins had been placed in three outlined regions within the Northern Provinces, as Mormont had correctly assumed earlier. Each of them were spread out from one another, and seemed to be located in different valleys in the mountains. One of the regions was noticeably larger than the other two. Even still, each of those kingdoms had some of the red-marked pins within them as well.
He looked to his host, "Who exactly are these rulers you've mentioned?"
Mao had spoken a rapid burst of YiTish to Po, who quickly moved forward and hovered his hand over the first of the yellow marks. Po had begun to speak also in YiTish.
Mormont's host had translated in the Common Tongue as they went, pointing to the largest landmass in particular, "This is the Kingdom of Tempurung. It is ruled by Guówáng Daizhou Fei. In the past, he had supported the Orange Emperor's rebellion from Trader Town, and had quickly given up his duty of sending his land's taxes and offerings to the Azure Emperor. Fei was also openly hostile to any officials sent out from Yin. Hence, his current loyalty is in question. He was only pardoned as he was the first to surrender himself and reswear his allegiance once Trader Town had been put to the sword. Of course only to save his own skin!" There was a clear shade of disgust laden in Mao's voice. He clearly disagreed with how Fei had gotten off lightly with but a slap on the wrist. "It is entirely possible he may ally with the Yellow King out of some petty vengeance towards us."
"And what about his holdings?"
"Tempurung is a hinterland kingdom," Mao elaborated. "It lays just below the Shrinking Sea, as you may have noticed from the map. Much of the trade that comes out of it is partly reliant on crops and livestock; particularly wheat and cows. Kingdoms in the south and the west often prefer to raise chickens or goats, as well as grow corn, soybeans, and cabbage. Additionally, the mountains in Tempurung harbor great reserves of iron and salt. Much revenue is made from these sources, and it is a critical motivation behind the kingdom's growth. Tempurung is also a great exporter of beer and wine."
So any serious attacks on Fei's people would absolutely disrupt trade, Mormont rationalized.
Then again, if Daizhou Fei was allied with the Yellow King, perhaps he might not care about trade-or his own people for that matter. Waging a guerrilla war against the Azure Emperor would take precedence instead.
He narrowed in on Fei's domain. Tempurung had had nine different towns put to the torch in the last seven moons alone. And most of the hamlets which had been raided were actually nearby the capital of the kingdom itself, which had been marked as a bold black dot.
"What has Fei done to cease the attacks on his own people?" Mormont asked.
The answer came quickly. "He has been most prudent in keeping extra soldiers placed in many of the larger towns, particularly where production of grain is primarily held. Otherwise, he has sent men out on crusades to hunt down the Church of Starry Wisdom within his borders. Fei has not suffered an attack in the last moon."
Couldn't be him, then. It was unlikely given just how much energy and manpower Fei had put in to protect his people. But it was always possible that he was wrong.
He asked Mao to show him the next suspect. Just as before, Mao spoke to Po, who continued.
"Here," The older man hovered his hand over to a neighboring region just two kingdoms over from Tempurung, "This is Ysharo, which is governed by a Sorceror named Junpei Fong Nowara. It is considerably smaller in size, however it is no less valuable. There are great gold and silver mines there, and Ysharo is one of our foremost spice exporters. It is a wealthy nation tucked into the mountains that generally keeps to itself."
Mao continued. "To our current knowledge, Ysharo has suffered six attacks on various villages within its borders in recent moons. However, Nowara has been active in protecting his settlements."
A common saying among the smallfolk in Westeros was, "Actions don't lie." Years ago, however, Mormont had found this to be false.
An action could be a lie. A calculated decision made at the right time so as to deliberately fool everyone. It was typical of the nobility to do so, especially when they wanted to get within the good graces of their Lord Paramount, or in this case, their Emperor.
"As I've no doubt he would be," Mormont commented dryly. "Whoever is sheltering the Cult of Starry Wisdom would want to make a show of defending their people. As for this Nowara, why is he on your shitlist?"
"Nowara's father had supported the 69th Yellow Emperor. Even going so far as to send dignitaries to Carcosa on the Hidden Sea with gifts of gold and valuable gemstones to fund Chai Han's war efforts. He was killed during our raid on Carcosa, which in turn made Nowara ascend to lordship over Ysharo. He soon swore allegiance to the Azure Emperor, but we have been keeping a close eye on him for sometime." Mao said with clear distaste, "He is a most unsettling character. There are rumors among his court that Nowara is constantly asking for 'fresh women' to entertain him privately. Of course, these women are never seen again, but there is nothing solid to pin on him. Though he has been clever enough to maintain his allegiance openly, he does not treat his people well, and most of the common labor in Ysharo endure rather harsh conditions in their workplaces. However, such allegations would not be enough to strip him of his lands and holdings."
Mormont knew what that meant. A sadistic ruler, one unconcerned about the ultimate well-being of his people-only about reaping what was produced.
How many other lords in Westeros were like that in their private lives? Too many.
This Nowara certainly made a good candidate… Needless sadism against one's people was right up the Yellow King's alley. And he'd even supposedly made blatant attempts to protect his people-the very same people he didn't give so much as a damn about.
"When was the most recent attack in Ysharo?"
Mao asked the same question of Po, who replied back easily. Mao then pointed to a smaller dot on the map. "Three weeks ago. It was one of the local mining villages just a few leagues from Nowara's estate."
The attacks were within a few days reach from the ruler's home… just like Tempurung.
What in the Seven Hells was that supposed to mean, though? Right now, it meant naught to Mormont. There were more important questions on his mind.
What minor detail among all the information he'd just received was being overlooked by Mao? Something that would help him ultimately track down where the Yellow King was hiding?
Of course! If it really was either of these two, and settlements close by to the capitals of these respective kingdoms were being attacked… then it would take considerable amounts of time, energy, and effort just to cover up the tracks of these cultists. Energy that the Yellow King and his followers just wouldn't have. It would have been far easier to link the Cult of Starry Wisdom with Fei or Nowara if that were the case.
"Hmmm," Mormont hummed. "And the third?"
Mao told him, then showing another smaller region placed nearer towards the Five Forts. It seemed to be tucked inside of a valley, "This is Izuhorona, which is governed by a Lord named Tsai Na. As you can clearly see," Mao pointed out the three red pins which more or less made up a sort of tiny triangle shape on the map, "Izuhorona suffered far less damage than the others. It is not as wealthy as Ysharo, but it is of the same importance with regard to its contribution to our economy. Tsai Na holds great sway in the Imperial Court-particularly because of his connections with the merchant guilds in Yin, and because of the great quantities of spices that are produced in his lands. An uncle of his had supported the Orange Emperor's rebellion. Tsai Na had wished to publicly remain neutral, however we had apprehended many public escorts carrying supplies and weapons to Trader Town. Many of the passes and documents held by the officials-who just so happened to be groups of armed soldiers-bore Tsai Na's family seal. Though, I admit, they also bore other crests as well."
"So they were soldiers pretending to be merchants?"
"Indeed. It was not entirely unheard of for such a thing to occur during a time of conflict. Soldiers, bandits, and hoodlums off all stripes have been caught pretending to be merchants before. But these cases have been few and far between since the introduction of official border passes between provinces several hundred years ago." Mao said nonchalantly.
Border passes? There was nothing like that in Westeros. If you crossed over into another kingdom, there wasn't any type of toll you needed to pay or pass you had to show. You were in or you were out.
Then again, it wasn't as if Westeros didn't have its fair share of banditry. Maybe the YiTish had a point with that.
"Tell me more about this Tsai Na, then," Mormont sighed coldly. "I take it he's very much the type to keep his cards close to his chest?"
He'd received an approving nod in response. "You would be correct in that assumption, Zūnjià. Tsai Na is a most accomplished politician who is a descendant of an ancient line of warriors, many of whom were members of Tiānmìng, or The Order of Heaven in your tongue. They are renowned for their impressive stoicism. Tsai Na believes himself to be their successor. He is respected by most at court, though I am not so sure of his allegiances. It is my belief that it was he who was aiding the Orange Emperor, though through much more indirect means than others. Perhaps he was seeking to prolong the rebellion so as to expand his profits? Or if only to support his family? Regardless, if this is so, he is guilty. It is possible he may be siding with the Cult of Starry Wisdom simply to line his pockets with more gold."
Interesting… Mormont didn't quite know what else to ask about next.
That was more or less that. This was the point where Mao and his people had been stuck.
So what did they have to go on? A King who held a rather petulant relationship with the Emperor; a Sorceror with a rather shady reputation and who didn't seem to outwardly care much for his own people; and a well-known Lord who was politically valued, but was likely more crooked than he let on.
Naturally, there were a few more details. Mainly on these men's recent exploits; Tsai Na had been attempting to expand his position within the Spice Trade. It was quite lucrative for him, of course. Conveniently enough, many of his would-be rivals had been dealt more than a few blows to their production lines by the Cult of Starry Wisdom. Tsai Na seemed to be getting his wish after all.
Probably doesn't even mind that some of his own people have died over this nasty business, Mormont thought as he maintained his ice-cold expression, forcing back down the instinctual snarl he'd almost adorned.
Likewise, Junpei Fong Nowara-Duncan thought it better to simply refer to the man as Nowara-had also apparently been up to no good. Nowara was using the attacks on his people to further solidify his control over those under his thumb, only just barely skirting the limits of what was allowed for rulers in Yi Ti. Even Mao seemed to be greatly displeased with Nowara's sheer existence.
And Daizhou Fei had supposedly been the source of some foul rumors in the Imperial Court. Many Kings and Lords were greatly displeased with the Cult of Starry Wisdom, and many more disliked that the Emperor seemingly hadn't done much about it. There was even a rumor that the cult was working for the Emperor-probably to sow dissension amongst the courtiers. That perhaps the cultists were targeting those who had not received the Emperor's favor, while the other kingdoms who did went on profiting as usual.
There was no practical sense behind these tales, naturally. Many rulers who'd been publicly seen with, or even granted favors by the Emperor had also suffered blows to the Yellow King. Still, the fact that the rumors existed at all greatly bothered Mao. It was clear to Mormont that the older man held a rather profound respect for the Azure Emperor. Could just be chalked up to Fei having to deal with more frequent raids.
Perhaps. But Mormont wasn't entirely sure just yet.
Nowara was the most obvious suspect of the three, at least in Duncan's mind. Nowara apparently had a sadistic streak about him, something that the man had in common with the Yellow King. Two peas in a pod.
Furthermore, Nowara was using the chaos created by the Cult of Starry Wisdom to further take advantage of his own people. Not exactly a good look.
And yet…
There was an idea just on the knife-edge of his mind. It was prodding at him, poking him. What was it? And how was it at all relevant to his current objective?
Of course! Mormont loomed over the great map of Yi Ti once again and started tracing the bold black lines that led in and out of each of the regions. The thickest of the lines, which had only run through the entirety of Yi Ti in a cross-like shape, branching out toward the north, west, east, and south. It appeared to be some sort of official route-just as the Kingsroad was for Westeros.
"What's this?" He asked Mao.
"That is the Silk Road, Zūnjià. It was made not long after the collapse of the Great Empire of the Dawn so we could rebuild quickly." Mao seemed to be aware of Mormont's renewed sense of energy. "What is it, Duncan? Have you… found something?"
"Might have," Mormont checked the distances between Izuhorona, Tempurung, and Ysharo. They each, while spread out across the vast swath of Northern Provinces, seemed to be relatively close by to the northern branch of the Silk Road, only connected by various forks and highways.
If the Cult of Starry Wisdom was able to make so many raids and attacks, they'd have to be able to get around quickly. Moreover, they'd have to be able to place their agents in different towns and villages throughout the Empire. Which meant that they'd need access to the local roads. Getting through the dense jungles or spiraling network of mountains that were native to Yi Ti was simply not going to work.
So… how would they do it?
Which of these three men; Fei, Nowara, and Tsai Na, would the Yellow King choose as his ally? Why? And most importantly; how would the Yellow King ensure his people were able to get around freely and without issue?
They'd need those border passes, wouldn't they? Mao had mentioned border passes being necessary for travel. They'd need an official seal or something from one of the rulers in the Empire. That was probably how Mao figured out it was one of the nobility who was sheltering the cult.
…which meant that the Cult of Starry Wisdom was traveling under some sort of cover. They simply had to be.
It was, relatively speaking, an obvious realization in hindsight. But if Mao's stories were right, then they were looking at a large group numbering somewhere over a hundred, or perhaps two hundred. Maybe even more. And possibly even, they were all split up into smaller parties. Something like that wasn't typical for merchant caravans-at least not the ones in Westeros.
As for who the Yellow King would side with…
That one, he didn't know. It was entirely possible that each of these men were totally innocent.
But it certainly lined up with Mao's theory that the Cult of Starry Wisdom was hiding in a kingdom that had already suffered some abuse from them. All they needed to do now was to test that theory and take a closer look.
He stepped back from the table and looked to Mao once again. "How large is the typical merchant caravan in Yi Ti?"
"It would depend on the escort, and what they are carrying." Mao said easily, bringing up a finger to pinch his thin moustache as he reflected on the answer. "Perhaps anywhere from fifty to one hundred armed men. A few carriages, half a dozen."
"You need that many men in an escort?"
Mao nodded firmly. "More so as a precaution. The nobility are most intent on protected their wares from one another. It is much the same for independent merchants traveling throughout the Empire. Depending on the ruler, merchants may be taxed if they wish to pass through one's lands. And there are always the occasional bandits or ill-wishers."
"Are there any other groups that are allowed border passes? Sellswords? Public officials?"
"Naturally," Mao said, "Workers, miners, farmers as well. Why do you ask?"
"Just bear with me, Mao," Mormont held up a hand. "One more question. How long would it take an escort of that size; fifty to a hundred-to move about the Northern Provinces?"
A flash of understanding panned in those black-brown eyes. "A few weeks. But they would need to stop from time to time for food and perhaps shelter if there was a storm."
"And what if they didn't need to stop for food if they had acquired it elsewhere?"
Mao couldn't resist giving him a slight grin. Mormont's choice of phrasing had not gone unnoticed. "To go from one side of the Northern Provinces all the way to the Five Forts? And provided they all had horses? A fortnight. Maybe longer. As long as they followed the Silk Road, of course. Any journeys over open terrain would draw it out."
That settled it then. The Cult of Starry Wisdom was traveling back and forth throughout the Empire as several groups of merchants or farmers or whatnot. That had to be it. That was how they were getting around so fast.
Mormont was reminded of what Mao had said a week ago about how the YiTish fielded armies. They broke up their forces into smaller companies so as to travel faster and easier through the jungles and mountains.
The Yellow King also had to have done the math. This was the most optimal way for getting around Yi Ti. Plain and simple.
So what was left?
"I propose we keep track of any larger caravans going in and out of these three kingdoms," Mormont said with conviction as he pointed out the three yellow-lined pins. "They could be innocent. However, I'm quite certain that the Yellow King and his friends are operating as escorts for a 'merchant', or even as the merchants themselves."
Mao had given him a full smile then. Just as calculated as ever. "That is not exactly much to go on, Zūnjià. There are countless groups as you describe traveling all throughout the Empire. What other details should we pay attention to?"
Mormont was prepared for this question. He answered calmly, "An overabundance of livestock, for one. I should think, however, that the idea is to keep an eye on them and take note of any… peculiarities."
The hint was immediately understood. Mao nodded, and then turned to both Po and Shu. He spoke rapidly in YiTish, and the two men quickly bowed and left the room.
Once they were alone, Mao had looked at him appraisingly. "You have made astute observations, Zūnjià. Our operatives within these provinces will be informed. And then… we shall see what becomes of this line of inquiry."
"Of course, Mao." Duncan said calmly.
If he was wrong, then they'd simply go back to the drawing board and start again.
But if he was right? And without a doubt, he felt certain that his suggestions would bear decisive fruit…
…then, it would only be a matter of time before he, Mormont, finally came face-to-face with the Yellow King himself.