During the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Hou Jing occupied most of the Wei region. Emperor Wu often dreamed of recovering the Central Plains, even seeing the land pacified and the nation celebrating in his sleep. He told his imperial advisor Zhu Yi, "I rarely dream in my life, but whenever I do, something real always follows."
Soon, Hou Jing sent a messenger to Emperor Wu, requesting surrender. The emperor summoned his ministers to discuss the matter. Xie Ju, the imperial secretary, and others argued that Hou Jing could not be trusted. The emperor, however, secretly wished to accept the surrender but remained hesitant, torn between hope and caution, unable to decide.
One morning, Emperor Wu rose early and, standing at the entrance of Wude Pavilion, murmured to himself, "Our nation is like a golden bowl—it should have no chips or cracks. In times of peace like this, is it truly the moment to accept surrendered lands? If it leads to war, regret will be too late."
Zhu Yi, sensing the emperor's inclination, played along by saying, "If we refuse Hou Jing's submission, we might discourage others from surrendering in the future." Emperor Wu of Liang finally accepted Hou Jing's surrender. Soon after, Hou Jing rebelled, and Emperor Wu had to swallow the bitter fruit of his own decision. "Jin Ou," a vessel for wine, gives rise to the idiom "Jin Ou Wu Que," meaning the national territory is intact and unbroken.
Source: *History of the Southern Dynasties*, "Biography of Zhu Yi"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "金瓯无缺" came to describe how the national territory is intact and unbroken.