A Proposal for an Alliance

After the meeting, the Fire Tribe's busyness did not stop as night fell. Several leaders were still talking in hushed tones on their way back, discussing the work arrangements for tomorrow. The workshop area in the distance was brightly lit, and further away, the more than four thousand newly arrived tribespeople were being settled in, amidst a cacophony of voices.

As Yan Zhan watched all this, a complex emotion welled up in his heart. A tribe of 41,000 people—this number was already a behemoth in the Fish River.

With so many people, how much food do they need to eat every day? How many supplies do they need to consume? How much work do they need to do? Each of these is a heavy responsibility, but also a heavy hope.

Two days later, Fire Creek Wharf became lively again. Jianya stood by the wharf, looking at the huge fleet in front of him, with a satisfied smile on his face. One hundred and forty ships weighing five thousand catties each and twenty-one ships weighing ten thousand catties each were all the large ships that the Fire Tribe could currently provide. With the addition of the fleet that the Fish Tribe was about to join, the total transport volume this time could reach at least one and a half million catties.

"Let's go!" Jianya gave the order.

The fleet slowly sailed away from the dock, heading towards the Fish River along the Fire Creek River. On the bank, many members of the Fire Tribe spontaneously came to see them off, waving their arms and shouting their blessings until the fleet disappeared into the distant river bend. Jianya stood at the Chuantou of the largest ship, weighing ten thousand catties, facing the river wind, silently calculating the mission in his heart.

With 1.5 million catties of grain transported back, the Fire Tribe's granaries were even fuller. The fleet sailed on the Fish River for three days and arrived at the Fish Tribe. When the huge fleet appeared in the Fish Tribe's section of the river, the people of the Fish Tribe were once again shocked. 140 boats weighing 5,000 catties each and 21 boats weighing 10,000 catties each lined up in a queue several miles long on the river, like a giant dragon slowly swimming.

"My God..." muttered an old fisherman from a Fish Tribe on the shore, his fishing net falling to the ground again.

Standing on the dock, Julang watched the approaching fleet with mixed feelings. The Fire Tribe had become stronger again. When Jianya came last time, there were only one hundred ships weighing five thousand catties and one ship weighing ten thousand catties. In such a short time, they had added forty more ships weighing five thousand catties and twenty more ships weighing ten thousand catties. The speed at which the Fire Tribe built ships was like magic!

"Brother Julang!" Jianya jumped off the ship after giving his men some instructions, striding over with a broad smile. "We meet again!"

Julang snapped out of his daze and rushed forward, "Jianya Leader! You must be tired from your journey! The leader has prepared a feast to welcome you back!"

Jianya laughed and patted Julang on the shoulder, "Alright! Let's talk as we walk."

At the dock, the Fire Tribe's fleet, guided by the Fish Tribe members, docked in an orderly fashion. This time, the Fish Tribe members were quick and efficient. Jianya, accompanied by several followers, arrived at the largest wooden house in the Fish Tribe, led by the Julang. Canglan was already waiting at the door with the Fish Tribe's high-ranking members.

"Brother Jianya!" Canglan quickly stepped forward and warmly shook Jianya's hand. "You must be tired from your journey! Please come in!"

Jianya laughed and replied, "Chief Canglan, you're too kind! I'm sorry to bother you again!"

"Not at all! We're more than happy to welcome our friends from the Fire Tribe!" Canglan took Jianya's hand and they walked into the wooden house together.

Inside, food was laid out: grilled fish, stewed meat, wild vegetables, rice, and several jars of fresh goat milk. Although it wasn't as elaborate as the feasts of the Valley Tribe, the portions were generous, reflecting the unique hospitality of the Fish Tribe. As everyone sat down to eat and drink, conversation gradually began to flow.

Canglan raised his wine bowl and said to Jianya, "Brother Jianya, your Fire Tribe's fleet has grown considerably this time! One hundred and forty ships weighing five thousand catties each, and twenty-one ships weighing ten thousand catties each... Tsk tsk, your strength is almost catching up with the Valley Tribe!"

Jianya said modestly, "Not at all, not at all. It's all thanks to the craftsmen working day and night. We were forced into it; the demand for food is huge, we had to build more ships."

Canglan exclaimed, "Your shipbuilding speed is truly enviable. The Valley Tribe has been building ships for years, but they're lucky if they can build ten 5,000-jin boats a year. You, on the other hand, are building dozens at a time."

Jianya smiled but didn't explain further. After eating and drinking for a while, Canglan's expression turned serious.

"Brother Jianya," he said, "Besides helping with the grain transport, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you."

Jianya also put down his wine bowl. "Chief Canglan, please speak."

Canglan hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke, "It's about the Wolf Tribe."

Jianya Man raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"You've probably heard," Canglan continued, "That the Wolf Tribe's northward expedition this time involved taking many able-bodied men with them, plundering a large amount of supplies, and greatly increasing their strength. Although they eventually made peace with the Horse Tribe, can you really trust the oaths made by people like them?"

Jianya shook his head. "No."

"Yes." Canglan nodded. "Therefore, we are all worried that the Wolf Tribe will not move north in the short term, so their next target is likely to be the west."

He paused, his gaze fixed on Jianya: "And our Fish Tribe is to the west."

The room fell silent.

Jianya was silent for a moment, then asked, "What are the thoughts of Chief Canglan?"

Canglan took a deep breath. "We want to join forces."

"Joint?"

"That's right," Canglan said. "Our Fish Tribe, along with the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Hundred Crafts Tribe, the Beast Taming Tribe, and the Marsh Tribe, five tribes banding together for mutual support, but to be honest, even if we combine our strength, we might not be able to stop the Wolf Tribe."

He paused, looking at Jianya: "Therefore, we want to unite with the Fire Tribe as well. Your Fire Tribe is the strongest, and with you here, we feel much more at ease."

Jianya didn't speak, but simply drank the goat's milk slowly.

Canglan continued, "The Horse Tribe also sent a message saying they want to join forces against the Wolf Tribe, but they are too far away. Distant water can't quench a nearby fire. If a real battle breaks out, we'll still have to rely on the tribes near us."

He paused, then said sincerely, "Brother Jianya, we've had a great working relationship these past few years. Your Fire Tribe has always been very supportive of our Fish Tribe. I hope we can continue this cooperation."

Jianya put down the bowl and looked at him.

"Chief Canglan," he said, "I understand what you mean. Our Fire Tribe is very willing to join forces against the Wolf Tribe."

Canglan's eyes lit up.

"However," Jianya changed the subject, "I need to go back and discuss the details of the alliance with my elder brother; the alliance is no small matter."

Canglan nodded repeatedly. "Of course, of course! As long as you're interested, we can discuss it slowly."

Jianya smiled, picked up the bowl again, took a few sips, and suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, Chief Canglan," he said, "Will your Fish Tribe's subsequent payment for assisting with transportation still be deducted from the cost of the ships?"

Canglan paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"No," he said. "We don't need the boat this time."

Jianya was somewhat surprised. "Oh? What do you want then?"

Canglan hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth, "We want to... switch to pottery."

"Pottery?"

"Yes." Canglan nodded. "We want to use pottery to trade for some miniature horses from the Horse Tribe."

He explained, "The Wolf Tribe now has six hundred cavalrymen, and they are extremely mobile. Although our Fish Tribe has a large number of people, they are all infantry. We can't outrun them, and if they come to attack, we won't even be able to catch up."

"So, you want to build some cavalry?"

"Yes," Canglan said. "Even with only a hundred or so horses, they can be useful in critical moments. At least they can transmit messages and scout enemy positions, so we won't be completely in the dark."

Jianya thought for a moment and nodded, "That's a good idea. Trading pottery for horses is a great deal."

He paused for a moment, then said, "It's settled then. All the payment for assisting with the transportation will be in the form of pottery. I'll deduct some of it from your payment when I get back this time."

Canglan was overjoyed. "Great! Brother Jianya is so straightforward!"

The two drank another bowl of goat milk.

Next, the topic turned to the situation of the Wolf Tribe.

"The news you've heard is similar to ours," Canglan said. "The Wolf Tribe's northward expedition this time has taken over more than a dozen tribes, seizing a lot of grain and horses. They now have over a thousand warriors, including six hundred cavalry."

He sighed, "Last year when they invaded the west, our Fish Tribe could still put up a fight with them. Now, it's really hard to say."

Jianya asked, "How's your contact with the Pottery Salt Tribe going?"

Canglan said, "Our five tribes have already discussed and agreed that if the Wolf Tribe attacks, we will concentrate our forces and resist together."

Jianya had known about this news for a day. When Jianya led his fleet past the Pottery Salt Tribe, Jia Li had told Jianya about it. Jia Li even expressed Qiu Houqian's desire to join the Fire Tribe Fire Tribe. Jianya was very enthusiastic about Jia Li's idea and immediately agreed on behalf of the Fire Tribe. In recent years, the Fire Tribe had become very powerful and had great development potential, which Jia Li had noticed. In addition, with the threat of the Wolf Tribe, he felt that it was unreliable to unite with the Fish Tribe. Joining the Fire Tribe directly would be safer!

Recently, Jia Li also contacted the Hundred Crafts Tribe, the Marsh Tribe, and the Beast Taming Tribe. They also had this idea. Now that Jia Li has received a clear statement from Jianya, he said he is willing to persuade these tribes to join the Fire Tribe after autumn. Jianya repeatedly promised that if it works out, he will definitely report to the Fire Tribe for Jia Li. After hearing this, Jia Li became even more enthusiastic!

Jianya chatted with Canglan for a while before taking his leave. The next morning, the joint fleet of the Fire Tribe and the Fish Tribe set sail again.

This time, the Fish Tribe sent Feiyu and Bailin to lead a team of thirty 2,000-jin boats and ten 5,000-jin boats to assist the Fire Tribe in transporting grain. The two fleets joined together and sailed downstream along the Fish River in a grand procession.