In the second year after Emperor Jing of Han ascended the throne, the princes of the same surname enfeoffed across the land came to the capital for a grand audience.
Emperor Jing of Han was overjoyed and hosted a grand banquet in the palace, inviting everyone to dance and make merry together. The feudal princes happily began to wave their arms and stomp their feet, dancing with abandon. For a time, the emperor and his subjects shared in the joy, the atmosphere was lively, and the palace was filled with laughter and cheer.
Of all the feudal lords, the one who danced the worst was the King of Changsha, Ding Wang, whose movements were so awkward and restrained that he seemed afraid to let loose. The other lords laughed at him, leaving him utterly embarrassed.
Emperor Jing of Han knew that Prince Ding had always been very active, and was quite puzzled, so he asked him:
"Prince Ding, what's wrong with you today? I remember you used to dance quite well!" Prince Ding replied, "Your Majesty, my state is small and narrow, with no room to turn around."
Emperor Jing of Han suddenly understood Prince Ding's intention and issued an imperial decree granting him the additional territories of Guiyang, Wuling, and Lingling, thereby expanding his fiefdom.
Later, the idiom "room to maneuver" came to describe space available for flexible movement.
Source: *Book of Han*, Chapter "Annals of Emperor Jing"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "回旋余地" came to describe how space available for flexible movement.