Giant Warships at the Door

Only Canglan remained in the council chamber, his brow furrowed. The plan to increase troop numbers was temporarily shelved. The purchase of ships had a direction now, but it was ultimately a reactive measure. Although Canglan was greedy, he still cared deeply about the Fish Tribe. This time, the Wolf Tribe, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, had successfully stolen grain using rumors. What tricks would they use next? The Fire Tribe was more like a silently growing giant. The strength and ambition they had subtly revealed during the last transaction had already put immense pressure on Canglan.

"Sigh..." Canglan rubbed his temples. Being the leader meant there were more and more things to worry about.

"Report!" The guard's urgent voice rang out again from outside the door.

Canglan looked up. "What is it?"

"Chief, the Fire Tribe has sent a fast ship ahead to deliver a message that their leaders, Jianshi and Flame, will arrive at our Fish Tribe with their fleet tomorrow morning!"

"Tomorrow morning?" Canglan was taken aback and puzzled. He remembered clearly that when Yan and Jianya came last time, they said they planned to go to the Valley Tribe to trade in the fall. Why was it suddenly so much earlier? And they even sent someone to inform them in advance... This was a bit unusual.

Seeing that he didn't reply immediately, the guard cautiously added, "Yes, that's what the messenger said. He said it's a large fleet."

A large fleet... Canglan pondered these words. The Fire Tribe's fleet was already quite large when they came last time, and this time they specifically emphasized "large"... He waved his hand. "Understood. Pass the word down, make preparations at the dock tomorrow, and receive them well. Also, send someone to tell Julang to keep an eye out tomorrow."

"Yes!" The guard withdrew.

Canglan sat alone, his doubts slowly replaced by another thought: Regardless of why they came early, bringing such a large fleet meant they were here to do big business. The Fire Tribe was now a large and powerful force, with high consumption; this time they were probably here to purchase large quantities of grain or something else. Thinking of the potential profits from the trade, Canglan's doubts lessened somewhat. Anyway, once the people arrived tomorrow, he would naturally know what it was about.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly. Julang, in charge of dock defense and reception, had already led his men to clean the berths early in the morning. He still remembered the chief's instructions from the previous day: to "be careful." But what kind of big commotion could the Fire Tribe possibly pull off? As he pondered this, he glanced routinely downstream.

That one glance froze him completely. On the river, the fleet was slowly approaching. The sheer size of the sails... far exceeded his expectations! What made his pupils shrink even more was the sheer size of the leading row of large ships—their towering hulls, their deep draft...

"That... that's..." Julang gasped, almost unable to believe his eyes. He stared intently at the foremost ship, then looked at the dozen or so identical vessels behind it...

"A ship as big as the Fish Tribe?!" he exclaimed in shock, his voice trembling. "Twenty ships?! Impossible!"

He rubbed his eyes hard and looked again. Sure enough! Twenty giant ships, similar in size to the main warships of the Fish Tribe, or even newer and more robust, were sailing in neat formation! Around and behind them were countless other large ships, each weighing about 2,000 jin, which stretched across almost half the river!

Julang felt as if his heart had been clenched tightly, and he could hardly breathe. Twenty large ships! Their Fish Tribe had toiled away for so many years, and even counting the two they had recently bought with great difficulty, they only had ten in total! This Fire Tribe ... how could they possibly have that?!

Shock, horror, and an indescribable panic instantly overwhelmed the Julang. He whirled around and roared at a young warrior beside him, whose mouth was agape in disbelief, "What are you all standing there for! Run and tell the chief! The Fire Tribe has sent twenty large ships! And dozens more weighing two thousand catties each! Hurry!"

The warrior trembled at the roar, and when he came to his senses, his face turned pale. He scrambled and ran wildly toward the center of the tribe.

Julang forced himself to calm down. He took a few deep breaths, tried to put on a relatively calm expression, and led a few of his men in a small boat to meet the massive fleet, guiding it slowly toward the Fish Tribe's dock.

He tried his best not to look at the brand-new, massive ships that reeked of tung oil, but the overwhelming sense of oppression constantly reminded him of the vast disparity in strength between the two sides. On the dock, all the warriors and tribesmen of the Fish Tribe stopped what they were doing, staring blankly at the river. Exclamations and whispers rose and fell, and every face was filled with shock.

At the Chuantou of the flagship, Jianshi and Yan stood side by side, watching the increasingly crowded Fish Tribe dock approaching. They saw the undisguised astonishment, curiosity, and even a hint of awe on the faces of the Fish Tribe people on the dock, and their lips curled up slightly.

They could clearly sense that the way the Fish Tribe looked at them this time was completely different from any time before. The faint sense of superiority that had once been based on their status as a "long-established aquatic power" had vanished under the shadow of these twenty giant wooden ships.

Jianshi also had a faint smile on his face. He whispered to Yan, "Looks like we newbies are pretty intimidating."

Yan nodded, but he understood that this was not just "bluffing." It was a direct demonstration of strength, the simplest and most effective language.

Under the somewhat tense, even respectful, guidance of the Julang, the massive Fire Tribe fleet docked smoothly at the pier. Jianshi and Yan left capable men to look after the ships and supplies, and, accompanied by several skilled warriors, took some exquisite pottery and some fine linen as gifts, preparing to formally visit Canglan.

As soon as they disembarked, they found that the staff at the Fish Tribe Wharf were unusually warm and attentive, serving tea and water and asking about their well-being, a stark contrast to the formal, businesslike politeness they had shown last time.

Yan and Jianshi exchanged a knowing glance.

Yan chuckled softly, "Father, it seems that the Fish Tribe's attitude has warmed up considerably since our fleet arrived."

Jianshi smiled and nodded, his gaze sweeping over the eager Fish Tribe: "This is a good thing. Their attitude has changed, which means they've reconsidered the matter. The subsequent cooperation should proceed more smoothly."

Guided by members of the Fish Tribe, the two headed towards the core wooden fortress where the Canglan chief resided. Yan knew in his heart that this meeting would probably not be just a simple exchange of pleasantries and a transaction. The Fish Tribe, or Canglan, had to re-evaluate its relationship with the Fire Tribe.

At this moment, however, the atmosphere inside the largest wooden house in the center of the Fish Tribe was completely different from the "enthusiasm" on the dock.

After Julang had his men settle the Fire Tribe, he practically rushed into the council room, his face still showing lingering shock. Upon entering, he found the room already filled with people—Chief Canglan, and almost all the tribe's high-ranking officials and elders. They had clearly received the initial information and were gathered here waiting for him to provide more details.

Before the Julang could even speak, several impatient high-ranking officials surrounded it.

"Julang, did you see clearly? Are there really twenty large ships?"

How many of them actually came?

A barrage of questions rained down on them.

Julang steadied himself, knowing the weight of his words. He looked at Canglan, who sat calmly in the main seat, then glanced around at the tense and expectant crowd, and spoke in as steady but clear a tone as possible:

"Chief and elders, I see it very clearly. The Fire Tribe brought not ten, not fifteen, but a full twenty large ships! Each one is the same size as our main warships, and some even look larger!"

He paused, then emphasized, "Moreover, when I looked closely at the planks of those large ships, the wood was fresh and light in color; they were definitely not old ships that had been used for a long time. They must have been newly built ships recently!"

The room fell into a deathly silence. Although they were somewhat prepared, everyone was still stunned speechless when they heard the Julang say with such certainty, "Twenty newly built large ships." Only the heavy breathing of a few people could be heard.

After a long pause, someone murmured, "Twenty new large ships... It seems they weren't just boasting about building thirty large ships last time..."

"Not just the big ships," Julang added, "There are also fifty large Muzhou, each with a carrying capacity of two thousand catties, all of them good boats. Their waterborne strength..." He gave a wry smile, "Is far beyond ours. It's not just the number of boats; look at the soldiers on their boats, each one strong and capable, and they moor their boats in an orderly fashion."

Canglan listened in silence, his fingers gripping the armrest so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He took several deep breaths to force himself to calm down, but his voice was still a little dry:

"Julang said is all true. I have already sent several other groups of people to confirm it from different angles. It is twenty new boats weighing five thousand catties each and fifty large Muzhou weighing two thousand catties each, it is absolutely true."

His gaze swept across the faces in the room, some shocked, some terrified, some incredulous, and he slowly said, "Now it seems that what the Fire Tribe said last time—that they planned to build thirty large ships this year—is very likely... no, it must be true. What they've shown us now is probably only a part of it."

He paused, then said in a heavy tone, "This means that the Fire Tribe's naval strength has far surpassed ours. Consider that they have a larger population than us, cavalry on land, and a record of defeating the Wolf Tribe's allied forces... Before, we tried our best to keep up with them on the water, but now it seems..."

Canglan didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood the unspoken meaning behind it— the Fire Tribe's overall strength probably already far surpassed that of the Fish Tribe.

"It's only been a few years..." an elderly elder murmured absentmindedly, "How did they do it?"

"Yeah, every time they come, I feel like they're stronger than the last time," another person chimed in, their tone complex.

"They're expanding so fast, with so many people, where are they going to get so much food?" A logistics manager raised the most practical question.

This question seemed to suddenly awaken some people.

"That's right!" A high-ranking member, who had initially seemed somewhat apprehensive, suddenly brightened up, his voice filled with excitement. "They must be out of food, so they've come to buy more! They bought so much last time! But our tribe doesn't have much surplus food either, so where would we get any extra to sell to them?"

"If they won't sell to us, where else can they buy from?" another person frowned.

"Where else could they go?" The man's tone became even more certain. "Besides us, the only other Valley Tribe nearby with plenty of surplus grain is the Yougu tribe! They set off early this time, and with so many boats, they're definitely heading for the Valley Tribe!"

"So... if they ask us to help them make connections, or if we want to go to the Valley Tribe together to buy grain, would we agree?" someone asked tentatively.

This question brought a moment of silence to the room.

Just then, an elder who had been silent and seemed rather thoughtful suddenly spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was like ice water poured over everyone's heads:

"Agree? I'm afraid it's not a question of whether we want to agree or not. Think about it, the Fire Tribe has men, ships, and weapons—they're that strong. If they're really so short of food that they have to mobilize such a large force to buy from the Valley Tribe... What if, I mean, what if they can't buy it, or the Valley Tribe won't sell, or the price is too high for them to afford..."

He looked around at everyone and slowly uttered the possibility that sent chills down everyone's spine:

"What will they do if they're driven to desperation and have no food? Will they... end up like the Wolf Tribe?"

"The Wolf Tribe's three hundred-odd men were enough to scare Qinghe and Shuize into obediently handing over their grain. If the Fire Tribe's thousand warriors and dozens of large ships also came out to 'borrow grain'... which tribe in our vicinity could stop them?"

"Boom--!"

These words struck like a Startling Thunder, exploding in everyone's minds. The crowd, who had just been calculating the grain and weighing the gains and losses of the transaction, instantly turned deathly pale. A chill ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads, and many felt their backs instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Even Canglan was shaken to his core upon hearing this, his pupils shrinking sharply. He had always considered the Wolf Tribe a threat that needed to be guarded against and suppressed, but deep down, he hadn't regarded them as a mortal enemy that could truly threaten the Fish Tribe's foundation. But the Fire Tribe was different! If this behemoth, whose strength had already surpassed that of the Fish Tribe, were to become predatory due to food shortages... the consequences would be unimaginable! The Fish Tribe would certainly be the first to suffer!

A profound sense of crisis instantly overwhelmed any previous thoughts of competition or calculation. Canglan forced himself to think rapidly. Confrontation? Given the current disparity in strength between the two sides, especially the vast difference in their naval power, a direct confrontation offered absolutely no chance of victory. So...

His thinking suddenly shifted. If they couldn't fight back, they would cooperate! Once he understood this, Canglan felt Jushi weight lifted from his chest. He raised his head, his eyes regaining their calmness, even taking on a sharp edge.

"Quiet down!" he raised his voice, silencing the commotion and panic in the room.

Everyone looked at him. Canglan's gaze slowly swept over them, and seeing the fear in their eyes, he knew the time was right. He said in a deep voice, "What I just said was only the worst-case scenario. The Fire Tribe has always traded with us and values its reputation; it might not come to that."

He changed the subject. "However, prevention is better than cure! We must redefine our relationship with the Fire Tribe. Put away that competitive spirit of the past! Now is not the time to worry about who has more or less ships!"

His tone was resolute. "Faced with the Fire Tribe, whose strength far surpasses ours, confrontation is the most foolish choice! Cooperation is the only way out! They need food, we need security and our position on the Fish River, the Valley Tribe has food... In this, our Fish Tribe can act as an intermediary, facilitating the trade, obtaining our due benefits, and at the same time strengthening our ties with the Fire Tribe, turning them into our allies, not potential enemies!"

These words clearly pointed the way forward. The higher-ups, recovering from their shock and fear, pondered the matter carefully and nodded in agreement. Yes, if they couldn't win, of course they had to cultivate good relations. They could even seize the opportunity to gain benefits—why not?

"The leader is right!"

"It's time to change our mindset."

"Cooperation is essential!"

Seeing that everyone basically agreed, Canglan felt reassured. He immediately instructed, "Julang, go back to the dock and make sure the Fire Tribe is well received. Invite them to the main reception room; I will prepare the best food and fruit for them."

He then addressed the others, saying, "Everyone, get ready. When you meet the Fire Tribe people later, be respectful and enthusiastic. The past is the past. What we need to discuss is future cooperation and making money together!"

"Yes, leader!" the crowd responded in unison, and hurriedly departed to prepare.

Soon, the entire upper echelons of the Fish Tribe were mobilized. The reception at the dock became even more attentive and thoughtful, the best food was prepared, and the main house for receiving guests was cleaned until it was spotless.

On their way to the wooden fortress, Jianshi and Yan naturally sensed this change. Yan chuckled to his father, "Father, it seems the Fish Tribe's attitude towards us this time is even better than we expected."

Jianshi nodded Chenwen: "When your strength is sufficient, others will naturally make way and open the door. Let's go see Chief Canglan." The two smiled at each other and walked towards the core of the Fish Tribe.