You Fu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	You Fu (游伏)
Alias(es)	Fu
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	You Tribe (former chieftain); Han Tribe
Occupation/Role	Trader, diplomat, explorer, caravan and fleet leader, field commander
First Appearance	First Encounter with the You Tribe 98

Background / History

Chieftain of the You Tribe

You Fu first approached the Han Tribe as the unarmed leader of the You Tribe. He initially entered the forest alone while his people remained hidden, then openly turned his back to Luo Chong and called them out once trust had been established. Luo Chong recognized this as a deliberate, low-risk method of contact used by an experienced intertribal negotiator 98 99.

At eighteen, You Fu led a 57-person wandering tribe with only 29 adults. He already had two children, then about three or four years old 99. As a You Tribe chieftain, he had learned numerous local dialects because his tribe regularly traveled and traded with others 104.

He sought Horned Beasts, pottery, and other Han goods, offering the You Tribe's labor, travel experience, and ability to locate resources in return 100. He also recruited abandoned Wildmen, including Blind Granny and six girls, and attempted to persuade Blood Butcher to seek allies rather than pursue revenge alone 128 129.

Joining the Han Tribe

You Fu brought roughly 200 You Tribe members and Wildmen to the Han Tribe settlement, fulfilling his agreement with Luo Chong and requesting the promised ox cart 151 152. Luo Chong later supplied him with two bulls, a large barrel of White Salt, pottery, jars, and water containers for transporting live plants; You Fu regarded the gifts as a major expression of trust 167.

He later explained that the You Tribe had possessed fewer than one hundred people, no permanent home, and poor conditions for its women and children. Initially, the tribe left its families in Han territory while traveling; eventually, You Fu accepted Luo Chong's invitation to join permanently, gaining both a stable rear base and the freedom to continue roaming 572.

Personality

You Fu is restless, adaptable, and strongly drawn to travel. He considers repetitive observation work tedious and prefers to roam, see unfamiliar places, and live “like the wind” rather than remain settled in one location 567. The Han Tribe's arrangement suits him: he can travel extensively while knowing that his family and people have a secure home behind him 346.

He is socially perceptive and usually begins negotiations with visible goodwill—smiles, gifts, clear gestures, and attention to local customs. He can make unfamiliar tribes relax through small details, even when language barriers prevent direct conversation 176 543. However, this courtesy is pragmatic rather than passive: he inflates prices when opponents are desperate, misleads rivals when it benefits Han interests, and employs intimidation when diplomacy alone is insufficient 257 418 572.

He is loyal to Luo Chong and deeply trusts the chieftain's judgment. Even when he does not fully understand the strategic value of a task, he follows instructions carefully and records the information Luo Chong needs 387 542 587.

Abilities & Skills

Diplomacy and Language

You Fu's principal strength is dealing with foreign tribes.

• Learned multiple tribal dialects as part of his duties as You Tribe chieftain 104.
• Uses gestures, gifts, food, and demonstrations to negotiate despite language barriers 176 544.
• Protected Han trade interests by warning the Lu Tribe against seizing White Salt by force, securing an exchange for Flower Beasts instead 190.
• Classified unfamiliar tribes by population, resources, agriculture, husbandry, and specialized skills; he considered the White House Tribe a third-level tribe requiring serious treatment 1003.
• Persuaded the You Jiang Tribe through demonstrations of Han farming practices and tools rather than immediate coercion 569 572.
• Used threats of Han military strength and a drawn saber to force the Snowfield Wolf Tribe to begin compensation negotiations 418.

Trade and Resource Scouting

You Fu consistently identifies resources that can strengthen the Han Tribe.

• Traded for pigs, horses, hides, and other livestock on the grasslands; one return caravan brought approximately 2,000 animals, mostly females selected for breeding potential 190 266.
• Recognized the potential of an unfamiliar dryland grain and recruited Ling to help locate it 261.
• Discovered and reported crops, coal, iron ore, mineral specimens, habitable areas, and transport routes during southern exploration 587 1025.
• Learned Potato cultivation from the White House Tribe while teaching them Corn planting, weights and measures, and Han agricultural methods 1042 1043.
• Sent Potato seed grain to the newly established Heyuan Commandery 1049.

Exploration and Surveying

Luo Chong entrusted You Fu with reconnaissance missions that served as groundwork for Han expansion.

• Was ordered to lead a downstream fleet toward the Gold Sand River, survey tribes and geography, keep daily logbooks, and preserve the records even if the expedition was lost 531.
• Meticulously recorded terrain, waterways, climate, habitable land, and strategic locations despite not fully understanding every long-term implication 542.
• Marked a featureless riverbank with a wooden post and white-cloth flag so future expeditions could identify the site 566.
• Led voyages down the Liuyang River, opened new waterways, located coal and copper resources, and established routes toward the grasslands 643.
• Reached the sea, cautiously sent a vessel to investigate ocean waters, and later led the group through severe weather to Deep Blue Bay 647 649.
• Proposed keeping Han fishing boats under Han control while hiring local crews, preserving control of trade channels around Bamboo Island 655.

Field Command

You Fu is capable of both defensive command and punitive operations.

• During the Snowfield Wolf Tribe's night attack, he correctly identified the enemy's intention to burn seeds and cloth, then ordered the heavy cavalry to intercept them before they could become stationary targets 408.
• Refused to pursue immediate revenge against the Barbarian Tribe when his scouting force lacked shields, spears, and sufficient numbers; he instead withdrew, completed the reconnaissance mission, and planned a larger future operation 559.
• Led repeated night harassment against the Barbarian Tribe, capturing prisoners and preventing the enemy from resting before the Han main force encircled them 613.
• Was described as a cunning and brutal commander for using sustained harassment and psychological warfare to weaken the Barbarian Tribe before the assault 613.

Equipment, Resources, and Commands

• Straight-bladed saber — A narrow, long, thick, and heavy saber with laminated-steel patterns and a brass openwork guard; used to intimidate Tenger during compensation negotiations 418.
• Ox cart and bulls — Luo Chong provided two mature bulls and taught You Fu to harness and drive an ox cart for long-distance travel 167.
• Trade goods — Regularly carried White Salt, pottery, cloth, porcelain, seasonings, tools, seeds, and livestock as diplomatic gifts and barter goods 190 544 1041.
• Sailing fleet — Led large sailing vessels, landing craft, and exploration crews during the Liuyang River and ocean expeditions 531 647.
• Heavy cavalry — Commanded two banners of heavy cavalry as a major force within his trade and exploration group 345.

Relationships

• Luo Chong — Chieftain, patron, and strategic superior. Luo Chong gave You Fu the ox cart that helped secure the You Tribe's future, repeatedly entrusted him with exploration missions, and personally welcomed his returns 167 531 932 1025.
• You Ye — Younger brother. You Fu delegated smaller transactions to You Ye to build his experience and later received photographs confirming his brother's safety during the northern campaigns 258 1025.
• Ling Feng — Diplomatic companion and translator who assisted You Fu during negotiations with the Snowfield Wolf Tribe 418.
• Ling — Temporary ally recruited to guard the caravan's flock and help locate a useful dryland grain; You Fu later introduced Ling and his family to Luo Chong 259 261 266.
• Jiang Xuan — Chieftain of the You Jiang Tribe. You Fu discussed farming systems with him, demonstrated Han tools, and later escorted his delegation to Han territory 569 572 584.
• Tang Chi — Tang Tribe guide and later negotiation partner. You Fu recruited his local knowledge for maritime exploration, then offered him influence in shipbuilding in exchange for cooperation with smaller tribes 647 656.
• Beast Tooth — Han official and associate on Bamboo Island. The two coordinated with the Han envoy group after You Fu's fleet reached the island 652 655.

Story Role / Major Arcs

• You Tribe contact and migration — Approached the Han Tribe, negotiated access to Han goods, recruited vulnerable Wildmen, and led his people to Han territory in exchange for an ox cart and security 98 100 128 152.
• Grassland trade network — Built Han influence through trade with the White Fruit, Lu, Thousand Sheep, and other tribes, bringing back livestock and new resources 176 190 257 266.
• Downstream reconnaissance — Led fleet surveys of the Liuyang River, encountered the You Jiang and Barbarian Tribes, secured grassland land rights, and identified future expansion areas 531 559 562 580.
• Barbarian Tribe campaign — Withdrew after an initial clash to preserve his mission, then returned with Han forces and exhausted the Barbarian Tribe through raids before the final encirclement 559 613.
• Maritime exploration — Investigated the Liuyang estuary, established contact with the Tang Tribe, reached Bamboo Island, and helped establish maritime routes and trade strategy 646 652 655.
• Southern resource expedition — Located a coal mine, Potato crops, iron ore, and mineral specimens while surveying land and transport routes for later Han development 1025.
• White House Tribe diplomacy — Used trade, agricultural instruction, gifts, and work opportunities to cultivate ties with the White House Tribe and encourage its integration into Han systems 1041 1042 1045.
• Renewed eastern exploration — After the Han Tribe shifted toward consolidation, he proposed new exploration and was assigned to seek eastern tribes, document routes and resources, and spread grain cultivation techniques 932 933.

Notable Quotes

“I guarantee to complete the mission assigned by the Chieftain.” 531

“As long as you are willing to work, you won't lack food and supplies.” 551