Planning After the Autumn Harvest

The joy of the Fengshou had not yet faded when the core members of the Fire Tribe gathered once again in the spacious council hall. The torches on the walls clearly illuminated their faces, which were filled with satisfaction, contemplation, or determination. The air was filled with the fresh scent of newly harvested grains and a sense of Chenwen strength.

Jianshi sat in the main seat, a broad smile of barely suppressed delight on his face. His gaze first fell on Wang Yan: "Yan, you arranged and coordinated everything quickly and well before and after this autumn harvest. The tribe was in perfect order, inside and out. You know the situation best. Tell everyone, what exactly is the state of our Fire Tribe right now?"

All eyes turned to Wang Yan.

Wang Yan stood up and walked to the simple animal skin displaying the statistics. His voice was clear and steady. "Father, uncles and elders, since the great victory at Wild Boar Gully, neighboring tribes have come to join us, and with the addition of newborn babies in our tribe, the total population of the Fire Tribe is now close to three thousand five hundred."

Although everyone present had expected this number, hearing it with their own ears still made them straighten their backs slightly.

"Among them, more than 700 able-bodied young men who meet the requirements for soldiers have been organized and trained. The Youth Team has more than 300 members," Wang Yan continued, "This is the cornerstone of our military strength."

Then, he rattled off a series of exciting figures regarding the supplies:

Regarding grain, the autumn harvest has just ended, with a new harvest of 400,000 jin of rice. There is still a large surplus of the 200,000 jin of rice harvested in the summer. For rice alone, the storage is already extremely full.

"Regarding livestock: there are over 200 cattle of various sizes, more than 1,000 pigs, over 500 sheep, and about 300 reindeer. Rabbit farming has stabilized at a scale of about 20,000, which can replenish meat at any time. There are about 30,000 chickens and ducks each, providing a stable supply of eggs and meat."

Military Supplies: The Hunting Team is currently equipped with over a thousand sets of rattan armor and helmets, sufficient to arm the existing warriors and maintain reserves. There are also ample quantities of linen clothing, linen blankets, and animal hide clothing for warmth, ensuring the tribe stays warm through the winter.

"Housing and Defense: There are over a thousand shacks and wooden houses of various types, which not only meet the current needs but also have some vacant for emergencies. The main structure of the earthen city wall has been basically completed, heightened, and reinforced, and the defense system is initially in place."

"Transportation: Small Muzhou are excluded. There are currently fifty large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of over 2,000 kg, forming a complete fleet."

"In addition, we have a sufficient supply of various dried wild vegetables and fruits. However, we suggest that we acquire more medicinal herbs and higher-quality animal hides through trade."

With each piece of data Wang Yan reported, the atmosphere in the council hall grew more excited. When all the data was reported, even the most Chenwen Jianya had a glint of excitement in his eyes. Dali, Dazhuang, and the others were overjoyed, wishing they could go out and train some more right away.

What a rich and reassuring family fortune this is! Just two or three years ago, they were still worrying about having enough to eat, but now they have thousands of people, hundreds of thousands of kilograms of grain, a huge herd of livestock, and an army that is beginning to take shape!

"Great! Excellent!" Jianshi slapped his thigh, beaming with pride. "With these, our Fire Tribe can finally stand firm!"

After the initial joy, the conversation turned to external matters. Jianya, in charge of intelligence and external liaison, became serious. "Chief, there's new information about the Wolf Tribe. Xueya isn't dead. He's escaped back to their stronghold in High Pointed Mountain with Duyan, Shichui, and a dozen or so survivors. Along the way, they ruthlessly slaughtered two smaller tribes about five sunsets' journey from us."

Upon hearing this, Dazhuang snorted angrily, "These beasts are incorrigible! They should be wiped out completely!"

Dali frowned and said, "Eliminating them is easier said than done. Their stronghold is halfway up the mountain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. We have many boats and are powerful on the water. Pursuing them deep into the mountains and forests will not only be exhausting, but also make us vulnerable to ambushes."

Jianshi waved his hand, his expression calm. "Xueya is severely injured, and the Wolf Tribe has lost all its elite forces. They have no power to retaliate in the short term. As long as we become stronger, they are just a minor nuisance, nothing to worry about. The most urgent task is to continue to strengthen our own power."

His eyes gleamed. "The dogs sent by Jia Li are already in use, greatly enhancing our alertness. Once those fifty ponies arrive, we'll have made up for a significant portion of our weakness in land mobility. Then, we can trade for more horses, which will greatly improve our mountain mobility. What we need to do now is continue to focus on development and build up our strength."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Wang Yan spoke again, raising a more thought-provoking question, "Father, there's something else. Last time, Uncle Jia Li from the Pottery Salt Tribe mentioned that when the Fish Tribe's warrior, Julang, repelled the Wolf Tribe, he clearly had the ability to annihilate their main force, yet he only drove them away, and even drove them towards our Fire Tribe. I suspect this might have been at the behest of Canglan, the Fish Tribe's leader."

A moment of silence fell over the council chamber. Jianya, Dali, and the others lowered their heads in thought, their expressions gradually becoming serious. They hadn't completely ruled out this possibility.

Jianshi nodded slowly, a wise glint in his eyes. "Canglan... that's certainly possible. My brother-in-law is shrewd; he may seem greedy and easygoing on the surface, but he's actually quite shrewd. The Fish Tribe's strength over the years is no accident. Our Fire Tribe has risen too quickly in the last two years, our population has even surpassed that of the Fish Tribe; he couldn't possibly be without ulterior motives. Using the Wolf Tribe to test our strength and capabilities is in line with his style."

He surveyed the crowd, his tone solemn. "Gentlemen, you must not underestimate the Fish Tribe. They occupy a strategic point on the river, and their accumulated wealth and influence far exceed our imagination. If Canglan is truly determined to expand at any cost, it is not impossible for them to increase their population to over five thousand in a short period of time, given their years of accumulation."

Wang Yan interjected, "That's precisely why our foundation is still weak, and it's not advisable to have a direct conflict with the Fish Tribe Fish Tribe. My suggestion is to take the initiative to befriend them and lower their guard. We can continue to buy grain from the Fish Tribe; firstly, having more grain reserves will give us peace of mind, and secondly, it will make them feel that we still need their help, so they won't see us as a direct threat for the time being."

"Yan is right!" Jianya agreed. "We have plenty of grain, but the more the better. Besides, taking the initiative to trade is also a gesture."

After a moment's thought, Jianshi made a decision. "Alright! This autumn market, I will personally lead a group to the Fish Tribe to trade pottery for a batch of grain. At the same time, we will prepare plenty of gifts and offer appropriate discounts during the trade to express our goodwill. This will stabilize the Fish Tribe and buy us another two years to develop in peace."

"Furthermore," Wang Yan added, "Besides trading, we also need to gather as much information as possible about the lower reaches of the Fish River during this trip to the Fish Tribe, especially about the Valley Tribe and other powerful tribes. Our focus can't be limited to just these surrounding mountains and forests."

"Yes!" Jianshi declared. "That's the plan! Continue to strengthen our forces, stabilize the Fish Tribe, and gather intelligence from afar. Next year, we'll expand our paddy fields to 3,000 mu, and strive to reach 4,000 mu by summer! We'll solidify our foundation even further!"