Daiyue's Reaction

In the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters, Daiyue was sitting in the main seat handling affairs. Several animal skin maps were spread out in front of him, depicting the Valley Tribe's fields, warehouses, docks, and the defense map of the Little Valley Camp. Recently, the Tiger Tribe had been causing trouble, and the Bear Tribe was also restless. Being the leader of the tribe was not an easy task.

The seven elders of the Valley Tribe each had their own thoughts and plans, and he was caught in the middle, in a dilemma. The trade with the Fire Tribe was going smoothly, exchanging grain for pottery, and both sides made a profit. But now the sales channel in the lower reaches of the Fish River was blocked by the Tiger Tribe, and the pottery was not selling well.

He rubbed his temples and sighed. Being a leader was getting more and more tiring.

"Chief!" A guard rushed in, panting. "Someone from our headquarters at the docks has arrived. They say they have urgent news to report!"

Daiyue put down his charcoal pencil, rubbed his temples, and said, "People have arrived at the headquarters dock? The Fire Tribe's fleet has arrived? They've come quickly." Daiyue then said, "Let him in."

The one who entered was a young warrior, wearing the leather armor of the Valley Tribe, with a bone knife at his waist. His face was flushed from running, and beads of sweat were dripping down his cheeks. As soon as he entered, he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in salute, and his movements were crisp and efficient.

"Chief! Chief Quyong sent me to report that the Fire Tribe's fleet has arrived!"

Daiyue nodded and said calmly, "Understood. Have them settle the Fire Tribe's fleet first. I'll send someone over later."

The soldier didn't get up and continued, "Chief Quyong also asked me to come and tell the chief that the Fire Tribe has brought a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin to the Valley Tribe to transport grain!"

Daiyue suddenly stood up, his hands on the table, his body leaning forward, his eyes wide open, his voice distorted, high-pitched and shrill, particularly jarring in the quiet council hall. He said, "What did you say? The Fire Tribe brought a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin to transport grain this time?"

His fingers gripped the edge of the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his nails almost dug into the wood.

The soldier nodded, his tone certain, "Yes, Chief, I saw it with my own eyes at the headquarters dock. The Fire Tribe's 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) cargo ship is docked at our Valley Tribe's headquarters dock. This large ship is much bigger than the other ships around it; everyone can recognize it at a glance. The Fire Tribe's young chief, Yan Shao, said that the ship was built by their own Fire Tribe. Currently, they only have one, but their Fire Tribe plans to increase the number of such ships to fifty next year!"

Daiyue stared blankly, speechless for a long time. His mind was buzzing, as if countless bees were flying around. The words "ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, increasing to 50 next year, and built by ourselves" swirled in his head, making him dizzy. He slowly sat down, his hands still supporting him on the table, his knuckles still white, as if glued to the edge of the table.

How did the Fire Tribe manage to build a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin in just a few years? How many years did the Valley Tribe spend? How much manpower and resources did they invest? How many detours did they take from imitation to success? And the Fire Tribe? They built it from scratch, figuring it out themselves, experimenting on their own, building it themselves. They had no blueprints, no ready-made ships to copy; they relied entirely on their own exploration. How did they do it?

Fengren stood to the side, also stunned, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes fixed on the warrior. After a long while, he finally spoke, "When I last Fire Tribe, they didn't have ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin. This must have been built recently."

Standing behind Daiyue, Qingsui couldn't help but interject, "The Fire Tribe has already been developing a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin this year, so it's not surprising that they were able to build this large ship."

She paused, then said with a hint of admiration in her voice, "Chief Yan told me last time that the shipbuilding craftsmen of their Fire Tribe are working day and night. The workshop operates in three shifts, so the workshop never stops even when people are resting. One group works during the day, and another group continues working at night. They even eat in the shipbuilding workshop."

Daiyue nodded, slowly sat back in his seat, leaned back, and gazed into the distance, as if looking at something far away or reflecting on something. After a moment of understanding, he spoke, "Yes, the Fire Tribe is now a large tribe of 100,000 people. The fact that they were able to develop so rapidly from a small tribe of 200 people a few years ago to what they are today is indeed something many of us don't understand."

He paused, sighed—a sigh that was particularly clear in the quiet council hall—and then said, "We haven't changed our old ways of thinking. We always felt that the Fire Tribe rose to prominence so quickly because of luck. Now it seems that things are far more complicated than that."

Fengren nodded, walked over and sat down next to Daiyue, and said, "Their Fire Tribe knows how to make salt, fire pottery, build ships, weave, farm, and manage. These skills, taken individually, might be considered luck, but when all of them are combined, they are quite remarkable."

He counted on his fingers, one by one, and said, "A tribe that can master one or two things can live very well, but the Fire Tribe can do everything, and does each one very well. This can't be explained by luck alone. The Fire Tribe must have something we don't know."

Daiyue was silent for a while, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound, like playing a song without melody, before he spoke, "However, the Tiger Tribe is currently very unfriendly to our Valley Tribe, while the Fire Tribe Valley Tribe always been very warm and friendly to us. The stronger they are now, the better it is for our Valley Tribe."

He raised his head, his gaze hardening, and said, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Fengren nodded in agreement, saying, "The chief is right. The Tiger Tribe is holding us by the throat, preventing us from buying bronze weapons, selling pottery, and even selling us coarse salt. The Fire Tribe, on the other hand, is supplying us freely, at cheaper prices, and even delivering to our door. If we maintain good relations with the Fire Tribe, there will only be benefits, no harm."

Daiyue thought for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, and his fingers tapped the table faster. After a while, he spoke, "This time, the Fire Tribe came to the Valley Tribe to transport grain, and they should have also brought pottery equivalent to eight million catties of grain. Right now, our pottery isn't selling well downstream of the Fish River."

He paused, then continued, "Our Valley Tribe tribe has worked hard all year. I'll keep half of these pottery pieces for everyone to use. As for the rest, I'll see what to do with them. If all else fails, we'll keep them and sell them once this storm has passed."

Fengren nodded and said, "That's good. Otherwise, those elders would start arguing again. Last time, they almost fought in the council hall over the profits. No matter how we tried to persuade them, we couldn't stop them. Now that we're distributing some pottery to everyone, they'll quiet down for a while. It's better than arguing every day."

Daiyue nodded, then turned to look at Qingsui. Qingsui was standing near the door, her eyes gazing outside, her mind seemingly wandering elsewhere.

"Qingsui," Daiyue called out.

Qingsui snapped out of her daze, turned to her father, and asked, "Father, what's wrong?"

Daiyue said, "Go and summon the seven elders of the headquarters to the council hall. Tell them that the Fire Tribe's ship has arrived, and there are some things we need to discuss."

Although Qingsui wanted to go to the dock to find Yan, her father had other instructions, so she could only obey. She nodded, turned around and walked out of the council hall. Her steps were light, like a gust of wind. When she reached the door, she looked back, hesitated, and then quickly left. Daiyue watched his daughter's back, shook his head, and a helpless smile appeared on his lips.

Daiyue then looked at Fengren and said, "Fengren, go to the dock and invite Chief Yan to lunch. He's come from afar, and our Valley Tribe can't be impolite. The Fire Tribe is quite powerful now, so our Valley Tribe must treat him well."

Fengren nodded, turned and strode out of the council hall. His steps were quick, his boots thumping on the ground like war drums. In the open space near the Valley Tribe's dock, the Fire Tribe's temporary camp was being set up.

Yan stood on the edge of an open space near the dock of the Valley Tribe headquarters, hands on his hips, watching his men busily at work. Tents were being erected one by one, wooden stakes were being driven in, ropes were being tightened and secured, and a fire was being lit over the cooking area, with wisps of smoke rising and the aroma of food filling the air. Feiyu and Bailin were watching the boats over at the dock, directing the order of mooring. Jia Li was counting supplies, holding a wooden board and writing numbers on it with a charcoal pencil.

Binmao was directing the work, pointing and gesturing loudly. Yingmu and Shibang were used to help people move things. Two people carried heavy sacks, their steps steady, sweat dripping down their backs. Everything was orderly, like a sophisticated machine in operation.

"Young Master Yan!" A familiar voice came from behind.

Yan turned around and saw Fengren striding over with a smile on his face. He was wearing a linen robe, a bronze dagger at his waist, his hair was neatly combed, he looked very energetic, and his steps were light.

"Leader Fengren!" Yan greeted him with a smile, clasping his hands in a respectful greeting. "Long time no see."

Fengren returned the salute, his gaze sweeping over the camp under construction, then over the densely packed ships of the Fire Tribe on the dock, finally settling on the Fire Tribe's giant ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin. His eyes lit up for a moment, as if he had seen some rare treasure, but he quickly regained his composure, only his throat moved as he swallowed.

"Chief Yan, your Fire Tribe has brought quite a few more ships this time." He pointed to the giant ship, his finger trembling slightly. "This ship, with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, is truly remarkable. You didn't even see it when I Fire Tribe last time."

Yan smiled, a gentle yet confident smile, "Our Fire Tribe also needs these large ships for convenient transportation; they're highly efficient, one ship is equivalent to dozens of smaller ones."

He paused, then said in a serious tone, "Our Fire Tribe plans to increase the number of these large ships to fifty next year. We are currently developing a ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin."

He glanced at Fengren, lowered his voice, and said, "After all, the Tiger Tribe at the very bottom of the Fish River is not easy to deal with. Our Fire Tribe needs to make some preparations in advance."

Fengren nodded, his smile fading slightly, his brows furrowing as if weighed down by something. He said, "I understand, I understand. The Tiger Tribe is indeed difficult to deal with. Our Valley Tribe has suffered quite a bit in dealing with them over the years."

He paused, then stepped aside and gestured for them to proceed, extending his arm straight out with his palm facing upwards, saying, "Young Master Yan, our leader has prepared food and drinks in the council hall. Please come with me to have something to eat and rest."

Yan nodded, turned around and gave a few instructions to the people around him. Feiyu and Bailin were in charge of the dock, Jia Li was in charge of inventorying supplies, Binmao were in charge of the camp, and Yingmu and Shibang followed him to the council hall.

"Chief Jia Li, please keep a close eye on things at the docks," Yan said, patting Jia Li on the shoulder.

Jia Li nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll be here. Nothing will go wrong."

Yan, accompanied by Yingmu and Shibang, and a dozen or so followers carrying loads on shoulder poles, followed Fengren toward the council hall of the Valley Tribe. The loads were filled with gifts. The followers carried the loads with steady steps, the loads swaying gently on their shoulders, making a rhythmic creaking sound, like a light and cheerful melody.

Along the way, the people of the Valley Tribe stopped what they were doing and looked at the group with curiosity. Some of them recognized Yan and whispered among themselves, their voices like the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"That's the young leader of the Fire Tribe? He's so young, looks only fifteen or sixteen."

"I heard the Fire Tribe now has 100,000 people, much larger than our Valley Tribe. 100,000! How many people is that?"

"Look at the loads those attendants are carrying, aren't they full of gifts? The Fire Tribe is so generous, always bringing so many good things every time they come."

The whispers drifted on the wind. Yan heard them, his face expressionless, his steps steady, his back ramrod straight. Fengren, walking beside him, also heard the whispers. His lips twitched slightly, but he quickly recovered, only quickening his pace. At the entrance of the council hall, the guards saw them, bowed, and pushed open the door. The hinges creaked, the sound particularly clear in the quiet air.

Inside, the hearth was burning brightly, its warmth dispelling the autumn chill. A long table was already set with food and drinks: roasted lamb, golden and glistening with oil, steaming hot; stewed pork, tender and flavorful, its aroma irresistible; fresh fish soup, its milky white broth sprinkled with scallions; and hot rice, each grain plump and overflowing. Several jars of fruit wine, their clay seals just broken, released their fragrance, mingling with the aroma of the food, filling the air and making one's mouth water.

Daiyue sat in the main seat. When he saw Yan enter, he stood up and smiled. The smile was sincere and warm, but deep in his eyes was a complex emotion, like an undercurrent surging beneath a calm lake. His gaze lingered on Yan for a moment, then swept over the dozen or so followers carrying loads, and finally settled on the giant ship moored at the dock. Although he couldn't see it through the wall, he knew in his heart that the ship was there, like a Shitou weighing on his heart.

"Young Master Yan, you must be tired from your journey!" Daiyue stepped down from the main seat, went forward, grasped Yan's hand, and shook it vigorously. His hand was rough and strong, like old tree bark.

Yan smiled, bowed, and said, "Chief Daiyue, you're too kind. I've brought a fleet here to transport the remaining grain we ordered from the Valley Tribe this year back. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Daiyue waved his hand decisively, saying, "No disturbance at all. The Fire Tribe is here; our Valley Tribe is more than happy to welcome them."

He took Yan's hand and led her to a seat, his palm warm as he said, "Please, everyone, have a seat. Let's eat and chat."

Everyone took their seats. Yan sat to Daiyue's right, which was the seat for honored guests. Yingmu and Shibang were placed in order. The dozen or so attendants put down their loads, lifted the linen cloth covering them, and revealed the gifts inside—pottery, coarse salt, linen cloth, and spices—which were laid out one by one, filling the table to the brim.

Daiyue looked at the gifts, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. The Fire Tribe always brought gifts when they came, and each time they were better than the last. This time they were especially generous. He picked up his wine bowl and raised it to Yan.

"Young Master Yan, you're too kind! Come, have a drink first!"

Everyone raised their wine bowls and drank them down in one gulp. As the wine went down their throats, a warm feeling rose up, spreading from their throats to their stomachs. The atmosphere in the council hall gradually warmed up, and everyone's voices soon became louder.