Exploring the Upper Reaches of the Fish River Again

With the personnel and supplies transported to the Small Gathering Valley Outpost completed, the Fire Tribe Valley finally had a brief respite from its hectic activity. However, Jianshi and his son Yan were far from idle, especially after their return from the Southern Valley Tribe, where they had witnessed the vastness and potential risks of the outside world, prompting them to think more deeply and further ahead.

That day, Jianshi once again convened the tribe's core leadership. In the council chamber, the atmosphere was not as tense as when dealing with specific matters in the past; instead, there was a greater sense of long-term consideration.

"I've called everyone here today to discuss something that's not so urgent, but it's very important for our Fire Tribe's future," Jian Shi said Jianshi, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Yan and I have discussed it, and we want to take advantage of the fact that our boats can maneuver a bit more now to send people to explore further upstream on the Fish River."

Yan picked up where his father left off and explained in detail, "As everyone knows, the Fish Tribe and the Pottery Salt Tribe occasionally send boats upstream to trade, mainly selling coarse salt. But for them, firstly, the journey is long and the upstream boats are slow; secondly, most of the tribes upstream are small and poor, and they can't trade much, so they don't pay much attention to it, and they only go once or twice every two years."

He paused, then spoke clearly and forcefully, "But for our Fire Tribe, the situation is different. We'll have more and more ships in the future, and they'll get bigger and bigger. If we want to continue developing and increasing our population, relying solely on this valley of the Fire Tribe isn't enough. How many tribes are there in that vast area upstream of the Fish River? How are they doing? What special products do they have that we need? Are there suitable places to cultivate and settle? We need to know all of this."

The high-ranking officials present nodded, their expressions thoughtful. Indeed, the Fire Tribe's rapid development in recent years had largely benefited from absorbing population from the surrounding areas and upstream tributaries. However, as the tribe expanded, the "potential" of the surrounding area was gradually being tapped, and their vision had to be broadened further.

"Moreover," Yan's tone became more serious, "During our trip to the Valley Tribe, everyone heard about the behemoth called the Tiger Tribe at the very bottom of the Fish River. They have at least 100,000 people, know how to smelt bronze, and produce salt. Our Fire Tribe's secrets of salt production, pottery making, and bronze production can't be kept forever. What if in the future... we come into contact with or even clash with such a behemoth? With just our current 10,000-plus people, we won't have enough strength. We need more people and greater power."

Jianshi then spoke up in a deep voice, "Relying on our own women to have babies is too slow for our population to grow. To expand rapidly, we need to recruit people from outside who are willing to join us. The further downstream the Fish River goes, the larger the tribes become and the better their lives are. It's too difficult to get them to abandon their homes and join us. On the contrary, those small tribes upstream that are still struggling to get enough to eat are the best targets for us to recruit people."

He glanced at the person in charge of agriculture and said, "Of course, absorbing people isn't arbitrary. It depends on how much grain we have. The autumn harvest is coming soon. Our 6,000 mu of rice should yield 1.2 million jin of rice. Adding the rice we brought back from the Valley Tribe, the 1.15 million jin we plan to transport after the autumn harvest, and the 1 million jin we'll transport next spring... all this grain combined should be enough to feed 20,000 people."

Hearing concrete figures on food supplies reassured everyone. The tribe currently has around 15,000 people and a surplus of food, so absorbing a few thousand more is entirely feasible. The Fire Tribe's leadership also understands that the secrets the Fire Tribe holds and the value it has created are like a child carrying a gold nugget through a bustling market. Without a sufficiently strong body (population and military strength), it cannot be defended. More of their own people mean more security.

"Therefore," Yan concluded, "Exploring upstream, understanding the situation, and establishing contact will only benefit us. This exploration doesn't need to be large-scale; the main purpose is to gather information, and incidentally, we can also bring back some of our coarse salt-cured meat, dried fish, linen, and pottery to exchange with the upstream tribes for furs, medicinal herbs, or seeds and fruits that we don't have. Consider it a 'stepping stone' for our first meeting."

This proposal was reasonable, both prudent and progressive, and received unanimous approval.

"So, who would be suitable to lead this expedition?" Jianshi asked.

Yan volunteered. "Father, most of the major events in the tribe have been arranged recently. The Youth Team is being looked after by Gubang and the others, and the improvements to the workshop are proceeding step by step. This exploration isn't dangerous, but it requires carefulness and flexibility. I'd like to go with Uncle Dali."

Dali is Jianshi's younger brother. He is brave and experienced, but unlike Dazhuang, he is not reckless. He is Chenwen in the face of adversity and is an excellent partner.

After a moment's thought, Jianshi Shi agreed, "Alright, you and Dali will go. You're quick-witted and have a long-term vision; Dali is steady and can handle unexpected situations. I trust you two as a team."

Next came the specific arrangements. Since it was an exploratory expedition, the scale was kept relatively small: a large ship with a carrying capacity of 5,000 catties would serve as the command vessel and for transporting some supplies; ten large Muzhou weighing 2,000 catties each and twenty small Muzhou weighing 500 catties each would form a flexible and mobile fleet. They would carry enough food, necessary weapons, some spare hemp clothing and straw sandals, and the "goods" for this exploration and trade—mainly dried meat and fish preserved with coarse salt to prevent spoilage, plus a small number of pottery and hemp cloth samples.

"Get ready, we're leaving in two days." Jianshi finalized the date. "Remember, this is mainly about making friends, not fighting. If anything happens, discuss it with others; safety first."

"Understood!" Yan and Dali replied in unison.

After the meeting, Yan immediately began preparations. He found Dali, and the two discussed in detail the route, personnel selection, supply list, and contingency plans for possible situations. Exploring the unknown upper reaches of the river sounds like an adventure, but for the Fire Tribe at this time, it is more like a necessary "reconnaissance," the first stone quietly thrown for a broader living space for the tribe in the future.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. At dawn, a fleet of thirty-one ships of various sizes was ready to set sail from the dock. Compared to the massive fleet that had picked up people before, this fleet appeared much more streamlined. Yan and Dali stood at the Chuantou of the five-thousand-jin ship, waving goodbye to Jianshi, Qingye, and the others who were seeing them off.

"Be careful on your journey!" Jianshi shouted a warning.

"Don't worry, Father! Uncle Dali, let's go!" Yan took a deep breath and gave the order to set sail.