Tang Tribe's Emissary Group

In December, winter had already draped Hanyang Commandery in thick white snow. Yet at the mouth of the Liuyang River, the camp in Tohai Commandery was as warm as spring. With temperatures of twelve or thirteen degrees, people were perfectly comfortable in single layers, but most of those busy at work here had stripped to the waist.

There was much to be done when building a new commandery city. First and foremost was constructing a wharf—even a temporary one would do—as long as it allowed sailing ships to dock. A great deal of material had to be loaded and unloaded here.

The two most pressing projects in Tohai Commandery were water conservancy and the reclamation of fertile fields, along with building homes for people to live in. There was so much construction to undertake that although manpower was not yet lacking, tools were desperately scarce.

After Jiang Chi reported the situation, Luo Chong took charge of the arrangements and had him sail to the Emissary Group's station on Bamboo Island to ask for help.

Previously, to promote currency on Bamboo Island, the Han Tribe had shipped a great deal of iron and many craftsmen there. But relations between the Han and Xin Tribes had since deteriorated, and the Xin Tribe had expressly forbidden the Han Tribe from promoting its currency on Bamboo Island. With the iron sitting there serving no purpose, it was better to send it nearby to support Tohai Commandery.

As a result, Tohai Commandery now had craftsmen who could lead teams, as well as farm implements and tools. As for the Draft Oxen needed to reclaim the fields, Luo Chong ordered some to be gathered from Kaiyuan Commandery and transported by ship to provide support. With two veteran camps backing it up, construction in Tohai Commandery progressed