The Fire Tribe's Plans for This Year
After seeing off the people from the Valley Tribe and the Fish Tribe, the hustle and bustle at the dock subsided slightly, but the exhilaration generated by the arrival of a million catties of grain still lingered in the air. Jianshi did not let this emotion remain merely at the level of celebration; he knew that every important trip brought back more than just supplies.
"Let's go back to the council hall and hear Yan and the others' detailed account of their trip." Jianshi called out, and the core members of the Fire Tribe — Qingye, Jianya, Dabang, Dali, and Yan, among others—followed Jianshi out of the dock and headed towards the largest wooden house in the valley. Soon, everyone sat around the heavy wooden table. The atmosphere, unlike the lively one at the dock, became serious and focused. After the servants brought in some water, they withdrew and closed the door.
Jianshi's gaze fell on his son. "Yan, tell me in detail what has happened in the past forty-odd days? What is the situation like on the Valley Tribe's side? Are they really confident they can produce eight million catties of grain?"
Yan sat up straight, cleared his slightly dry throat, and began to report in a clear and organized manner:
"Father, uncles, the journey was smooth, and we encountered no major troubles along the way. As for the Valley Tribe, just as we predicted, they made a fortune last year by reselling our pottery and have tasted the Tiantou of success. So when we proposed to increase the trade volume this time, they were very enthusiastic. Chief Daiyue agreed to the trade of eight million catties of grain almost without hesitation, and even took the initiative to expand the planting area to ensure the grain supply."
He paused, his tone becoming serious, and said, "However, I've also learned some new information this time. Although the Valley Tribe is powerful, downstream, across the river, is the Bear Tribe. This Bear Tribe has grown rapidly in the last ten years or so, now numbering nearly nine thousand, with almost two thousand warriors. They've even acquired two large ships similar to the Valley Tribe's, each with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin. In some areas on the opposite bank of the river, the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost (with about six thousand people) is not in a dominant position and is under great pressure."
He glanced at the expressions of everyone present and continued, "More importantly, the Bear Tribe's increased strength seems to have received covert support from the Tiger Tribe, which is at the very bottom of the hierarchy. The Tiger Tribe is secretly supplying the Bear Tribe with a lot of bronze weapons. And in order to deal with the threat from the Bear Tribe, the Valley Tribe has to use a large portion of its profits from trading with us to buy bronze weapons from the Tiger Tribe at high prices in order to maintain its military advantage."
These words caused everyone present to frown. The power struggles among these external forces were far more complex than simple grain transactions.
"There's an even more crucial issue," Yan tapped his fingers lightly on the table, "Our transportation capacity is currently severely inadequate. Eight million catties of grain—even with the Valley Tribe's full assistance, the transportation pressure will be immense. If a conflict truly breaks out Valley Tribe and the Bear Tribe, the Valley Tribe's fleet will inevitably be prioritized for military purposes, and our grain transport without Valley Tribe support will certainly be greatly hampered. Therefore, I believe we cannot completely entrust our transportation security to others; we must quickly increase the number and carrying capacity of our Fire Tribe's own ships! We need to build more and bigger ships!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Dali chimed in, his voice Dali, "I completely agree with Yan! I discussed this with Yan on the ship back. We can't always rely on others! We'll feel more secure if we have our own big ships! Besides, those 50,000-jin ships from the Valley Tribe are really impressive. Even if we can't build one that big, we must get one that weighs 10,000 jin as soon as possible!"
Dabang, Jianya, and the others nodded in agreement. Transportation is the lifeline, and the lifeline must be in our own hands; this is the most basic wisdom for survival.
Jianshi listened with a look of relief on his face and slowly said, "You've thought things through very thoroughly. Transportation safety is indeed something we must keep a close eye on. The tribe hasn't been idle during the month or so you've been away."
He looked around at everyone and announced some exciting news, "Our shipbuilding workshop has successfully launched ten more large ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin! And thirty large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin!"
"Good!" Dabang couldn't help but shout in a low voice, and the others also showed joy on their faces.
Jianshi continued, "I asked the workshop manager, and if we temporarily concentrate our efforts and don't rush to develop the 10,000-jin large ship, but instead prioritize expanding the production of existing mature ship models, then soon we can increase the number of our 5,000-jin large ships to one hundred, and our 2,000-jin large Muzhou to two hundred!"
This number invigorated everyone present! Dali quickly started mentally calculating. "One hundred boats carrying five thousand catties each, that's five hundred thousand catties of cargo! Two hundred boats carrying two thousand catties each, that's another four hundred thousand catties! Plus, with our existing hundreds of small Muzhou carrying five hundred catties each, we can flexibly deploy them... Our Fire Tribe's own fleet will soon be able to transport one million catties of grain per trip!"
"Yes!" Yan was also excited. "This will greatly reduce our reliance on the Valley Tribe's transportation, giving us more control over our safety and initiative! If we can build ships weighing 10,000 jin or even larger later, our transportation capacity will increase dramatically!"
However, the excitement on Yan's face was quickly replaced by a trace of worry as he recalled Qingsui's words about the threats further away.
"Father, uncles, there is something else that may be even more alarming than the Bear Tribe." Yan's voice deepened. "When I was in the Valley Tribe, I heard Qingsui, the daughter of Chief Daiyue, mention with certainty that in the lower reaches of the Fish River, near the Great River, there is a powerful force called the ' Tiger Tribe,' whose population... is indeed over a hundred thousand."
"There really are over 100,000?!" Qingye couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice. Everyone else, including Jianshi, had their pupils shrink suddenly. The Fire Tribe was now developing with all its might, and its population had just exceeded 20,000, which was already considered a "large tribe" in their minds. Over 100,000... that was a completely different level, like looking up at a towering mountain.
Yan nodded, confirming the alarming figure. "However, the Tiger Tribe seems to be preoccupied with other matters at the moment. They are currently fighting with powerful tribes on two other tributaries of this great river, and internally they are also said to be somewhat divided. Therefore, they have no time to attend to the tribes in the middle and upper reaches of the Fish River. But once the Tiger Tribe resolves its external conflicts or unifies its internal opinions, given their size and expansionist ambitions, they will likely turn their attention to these tribes in the middle and upper reaches of the Fish River. At that time, our Fire Tribe will probably not be able to remain uninvolved either."
A heavy silence fell over the council chamber. The behemoth of hundreds of thousands of people cast a huge shadow, and although it was still far away, the pressure it exerted was already palpable.
After a long pause, Dabang clenched his fist, his voice deep and resolute. "Our Fire Tribe has too many secrets! Bronze smelting, high-quality pottery, salt... If these things fall into the hands of a behemoth like the Tiger Tribe, the consequences will be unimaginable! Our current population may seem large, but compared to them, it's simply not enough! I agree with Yan's assessment that we'll have a large surplus of grain this year. We must seize this opportunity to absorb as many people as possible and strengthen ourselves! Strength lies in numbers—that's the bottom line!"
Jianya stroked his beard and pondered, "Dabang is right. Strength is fundamental. Absorbing those struggling small tribes upstream of the Fish River will not only strengthen us but also provide them with a way to survive—it's a good deed. However..." He changed the subject, looking at Jianshi and Flame, "Relying solely on buying grain from the Valley Tribe is not a long-term solution, and it's too risky. We must Dali cultivate our own land! Only by producing enough grain from our own land can we solve the fundamental problem of food shortage!"
"To cultivate a large amount of new land, we need two things: people and oxen!" Dali immediately chimed in, looking at Jianya, "Jianya, how many oxen did you bring back from the Horse Tribe this time? And what about the miniature horses?"
Mentioning this, Jianya's face showed a complicated expression. "This time we brought back two hundred ponies and four hundred oxen. This is the result of Junfeng, the chief of the Horse Tribe, doing his best to raise the necessary resources. He brought out almost all the goods the tribe could trade, and even collected some from the surrounding small tribes that depended on them. Before we left, Chief Junfeng frankly said that if we went back again in the near future, they could only gather this much more. If they wanted more, they would have to wait at least a year and a half until the new calves and foals grew up before they could trade like this."
The addition of 400 oxen is undoubtedly a great help to the Huo tribe, which is currently engaged in large-scale Fire Tribe reclamation. However, if the planting area continues to expand, even more oxen will be needed.
Jianshi had been listening silently to the discussion. Now, he spoke slowly, his voice low but carrying an undeniable determination:
"Everyone has hit the nail on the head. This Tiger Tribe has shown us the gap between us. Our Fire Tribe is far from being able to relax; on the contrary, we must run even faster than before!"
His gaze swept over everyone. "This year's most pressing tasks are threefold: increase the population, reclaim land, and strengthen our military! All work must revolve around these three tasks!"
He began to make specific arrangements:
"Yan, Dali, you've just returned. Rest for two days, then take a fleet of boats loaded with some grain, pottery, and coarse salt, and sail upstream to the upper reaches of the Fish River. Trade and observe along the way. It's only early spring, a time of scarcity, and many small tribes are struggling. See if you can attract some people to join our Fire Tribe. Remember, it should be based on voluntary participation."
Yan and Dali exchanged a glance and nodded emphatically. "Yes!"
"Jianya," Jianshi looked at his younger brother, "The route to the Horse Tribe can't be cut off. You take a fleet of ships, with enough pottery and other supplies, and go to the Horse Tribe again as soon as possible. Exchange for some more oxen and ponies, as many as you can, to prepare for the next phase of land reclamation."
"Understood, brother," Jianya replied.
"Dabang," Jianshi's gaze shifted to the man in charge of both the military and the workshops, "You need to keep a close eye on all the workshops in the tribe! The pottery kilns need to expand production to meet trade demands; the bronze workshop, while ensuring the quality of weapons and tools, needs to find ways to improve efficiency; and the shipbuilding workshop is of paramount importance—this year's goal of building one hundred ships with a carrying capacity of five thousand catties and two hundred ships with a carrying capacity of two thousand catties must be achieved as soon as possible! At the same time, the development of ships weighing ten thousand catties cannot be completely stopped; a dedicated team must continue to work on it!"
Dabang patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, Chief! Leave the workshop to me, nothing will go wrong!"
Finally, Jianshi looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, "As for reclaiming new fields, planning water conservancy, and settling any new clansmen who may arrive, I will personally handle these internal affairs! Qingye, you will assist me in managing logistics and internal coordination."
Qingye nodded solemnly.
"Everyone," Jianshi stood up, placing his hands on the table, his eyes blazing, "Our Fire Tribe has achieved what it is today through everyone's hard work and perseverance. Now, we see a wider world, and we also see stronger opponents and potential crises. This is both a pressure and an impetus! Let us join hands and transform the million catties of grain we brought back into the backbone and flesh of our Fire Tribe! For the future and peace of the tribe, we must, and can only, move forward!"
"For the tribe!" the crowd shouted in unison, their voices filled with unwavering conviction and soaring fighting spirit.
The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed to get back to their work.