The Debate
After Yan and his group left, the atmosphere in the council hall of the Valley Tribe did not calm down with the end of the banquet. None of the seven elders of the Valley Tribe left after Yan's departure. They followed Daiyue, the chief of the Valley Tribe, to the council hall. These elders stood in twos and threes in the center of the council hall, discussing something in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally glancing at Daiyue.
After Daiyue sat down, he looked at the people who were unwilling to leave and sighed inwardly. He knew what these elders were thinking. This year, the trade with the Fire Tribe for 20 million catties of grain had yielded huge profits. Just now at the banquet, the young leader of the Fire Tribe had personally promised to buy another 20 million catties of grain from the Valley Tribe next year, and was even willing to give an extra 20% for pottery! With such huge profits, who wouldn't want a bigger slice?
"Please sit down," Daiyue said.
The seven elders then took their seats. The firewood in the hearth of the Valley Tribe's council hall was burning brightly, and the firelight reflected on their thoughtful faces. The second elder, Hefeng, was the first to speak, breaking the silence.
"Chief, the Fire Tribe has developed far too fast." His voice was filled with shock. "They already have 85,000 people! Our Valley Tribe has been developing for so many years and only has a little over 20,000. The Fire Tribe, in just a few years, has seen its population swell from 200 to over 80,000. This speed..."
He paused, then looked at the crowd.
"If this trend continues, the Fire Tribe's population will exceed 100,000 in the next two years! In the Fish River Basin, besides the Tiger Tribe, the Fire Tribe probably has the largest population now!"
The Fifth Elder, Shuize, couldn't help but chime in.
"Yes, who could have imagined? Just a few years ago, the Fire Tribe was a small tribe of two hundred people who couldn't even get enough to eat. In just a few years, the Fire Tribe has rapidly developed into a behemoth in the Fish River Basin."
He frowned and asked a question that everyone was concerned about.
"Can the Fire Tribe support so many people? More than 85,000 people, how much grain do they need to eat every day? Our Valley Tribe has about 20,000 people, and we need to eat several million catties of grain a year. The Fire Tribe than 80,000 people, how much grain do they need to eat a year? More than 20 million catties, right?"
Fourth Elder Lin Feng sneered.
"The Fire Tribe can't afford to feed them? Don't they have pottery? They can trade pottery for food. Isn't that how our Valley Tribe earns their pottery from their food?"
His tone carried a hint of bitterness.
"Their Fire Tribe grew rapidly thanks to their pottery skills. If our Valley Tribe could also make pottery, we could grow just as quickly. The Fire Tribe is just a nouveau riche; they're just lucky."
Elder Yaoshan shook his head.
"Lin Feng, you're wrong. Pottery technology is indeed important, but having the technology without knowing how to use it is of little use. Didn't you hear what Chief Yan of the Fire Tribe said? They absorbed the Fish Tribe, absorbed those tribes on the west bank of the upper reaches, and even captured more than 8,000 people from the Wolf Tribe's affiliated tribes to use as laborers. They absorbed and settled these people one by one. How could they have done that without sufficient ability?"
He paused, his gaze becoming deep.
"The Fire Tribe's rapid development isn't solely due to pottery; they possess ability, courage, and resourcefulness."
Lin Feng opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but didn't know what to say.
Elder Yaoshan continued, "However, the Fire Tribe's large-scale recruitment is a good thing for our Valley Tribe. With so many people, they need a lot of food, and our Valley Tribe happens to have plenty of food. As long as we trade with the Fire Tribe, we can make a fortune."
He looked at Daiyue: "Chief, how will the profits from this year's 20 million catties of grain trade between our Valley Tribe and Fire Tribe be distributed? And how will the profits from next year's 20 million catties of grain trade be distributed?"
The Third Elder Jin Ye, immediately took over the conversation.
"Chief, that's exactly what I was going to mention!"
He stood up, walked to the center of the council chamber, and looked solemn.
"Everyone, you all know the situation downstream of the Fish River. The Bear Tribe is becoming increasingly rampant!"
He looked at everyone and began to explain in detail.
"Since last year, they've seen us add two thousand people to our Little Valley Camp Outpost, and they've also absorbed quite a few of their own. The Bear Tribe's population has now reached around twelve thousand!"
"Twelve thousand?" Fourth Elder Lin Feng exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes," Jin Ye nodded, "Moreover, they have the covert support of the Tiger Tribe, and bronze weapons are flowing in continuously. Now their warriors are equipped with large quantities of bronze weapons!"
He looked at Daiyue, his tone becoming even more somber.
"Chief, our Little Valley Camp Outpost only has about eight thousand men left. Although we have quite a few bronze weapons, we're starting to lose control of the Bear Tribe. If this continues, something bad will happen to our Little Valley Camp Outpost sooner or later!"
He clenched his fist and said loudly, "I suggest we use all the profits from this year's trade with the Fire Tribe to buy bronze weapons! We must strengthen the defenses of our Little Valley Camp Outpost! Otherwise, if the Bear Tribe captures our Little Valley Camp Outpost, our losses will be enormous!"
Fourth Elder Lin Feng immediately jumped up in protest.
"Jin Ye, you make it sound so easy! If we take all the profits from this year's trade with the Fire Tribe to buy bronze weapons, how will our Valley Tribe survive?"
He walked up to Jin Ye and glared at him.
"Our people worked hard all year last year, and they will have to work even harder this year, cultivating fields, planting crops, transporting goods... which of these tasks doesn't require physical strength? If all the profits are used to buy bronze weapons, what will they get in return? If there's no benefit, will everyone still be motivated?"
Jin Ye panicked. "But if we lose our Little Valley Camp Outpost, our losses will be even greater!"
Lin Feng sneered, "Lost? How could it be so easy to lose? We have eight thousand men there, plenty of bronze weapons, and strong fortifications. Even if the Bear Tribe has twelve thousand men, it won't be so easy for them to take over our Little Valley Camp Outpost!"
Jin Ye sneered, "You're too optimistic. The Bear Tribe now has the support of the Tiger Tribe, and they're getting more and more bronze weapons. If they don't attack today, if they don't attack tomorrow, what about the day after? Something's bound to happen over there sooner or later!"
The two argued back and forth, their argument growing increasingly heated. Several other elders joined in, some supporting Jin Ye, some supporting Lin Feng, and some trying to mediate between the two sides. The council hall of the Valley Tribe was instantly thrown into chaos. The First Elder, Yaoshan, remained silent until they had calmed down enough before slowly speaking.
"Stop arguing, all of you."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of authority, and everyone quieted down to look at him.
Yaoshan slowly said, "Elder Jin Ye is right, our Little Valley Camp Outpost is indeed under threat, and Elder Lin Feng is also right, we cannot ignore the livelihood of our people."
He paused, then looked at Daiyue.
"Chief, I have a suggestion."
Daiyue looked at him. "Speak."
Yaoshan said, "Increase the population of the Valley Tribe and Little Valley Camp Outpost. With more people there, our defenses will naturally be stronger, and it won't be so easy for the Bear Tribe to take it over."
Jin Ye frowned. "Elder, increasing the population isn't something that can be done with just a few words. Where will the people come from? How will they be settled? Where will the food and supplies come from? These are all problems!"
Yaoshan said, "We can take it slowly. First, we can transfer what we can. If we don't have enough food, we can get it from headquarters. The resettlement issue can be resolved gradually."
Lin Feng nodded. "This method is feasible; it strengthens defenses without affecting the lives of the tribespeople."
Jin Ye was about to say something when Daiyue raised his hand to stop him.
"Stop talking."
He stood up, walked to the center of the council hall, and everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak. Daiyue was silent for a while before slowly opening his mouth.
"Currently, our tribe and the Bear Tribe are experiencing frequent clashes and sharp conflicts. We cannot afford to relax our military preparedness, but we must also improve the lives of our tribe!"
He looked at Jin Ye and Lin Feng.
"Alright, this year's profits from our trade with the Fire Tribe will follow last year's plan—40% will be used to improve the tribe's living conditions, and 60% will be used for military equipment."
Jin Ye opened his mouth as if to say something, Daiyue raised his hand to stop him.
"As for increasing the population, let's put that aside for now. We can discuss the profits from next year's trade with the Fire Tribe later."
Jin Ye frowned, but ultimately remained silent. Lin Feng smiled, but quickly suppressed it. The other elders exchanged glances and nodded. Daiyue looked at them, knowing they still had their own thoughts, but he didn't want to discuss it further.
"That's enough for now. It's getting late, you should all go back and get some rest."
Everyone stood up and filed out, leaving only Daiyue in the council hall. He walked back to the main seat, sat down slowly, and the firewood in the hearth was burning brightly, crackling and popping. The firelight reflected on his face, sometimes bright and sometimes dim. In his mind, he was still thinking about what Yan had said earlier.
Eighty-five thousand people! The Fire Tribe now has eighty-five thousand people! Just a few years ago, the Fire Tribe was only a small tribe of two hundred people, and they often worried about food. In just a few years, the Fire Tribe has expanded to such a large size. The speed of the Fire Tribe's development is really too fast, so fast that it is astonishing.
Then Daiyue recalled his earlier guess— the Fire Tribe could refine bronze? He hadn't told the rest of the tribe about this guess because it was just a guess, there was no evidence yet, and also because...
Telling others wouldn't help. Those elders each have their own agendas. Telling them this guess would only cause more trouble, so it's better to say nothing. Daiyue sighed and looked towards the door. Outside, the night was deep. He thought that he should find an opportunity to talk to Yan alone while Yan was still in the Valley Tribe these two days. There are many things that are inconvenient to say when there are many people around.