Private Talks and the Alliance

Yan and Qingsui walked side by side on the road leading to the Valley Tribe's council hall. Sunlight shone on them, casting long shadows. They walked one after the other, like two travelers traveling together. Qingsui walked half a step ahead, her steps light and quick, like a cheerful little bird. Yan followed beside her, his steps Chenwen, his gaze occasionally falling on her. The attendants followed behind, keeping a distance, their footsteps soft, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Soon, they arrived at the council hall of the Valley Tribe. Qingsui stopped and turned to the guard Xiaotou standing at the entrance, saying, "This is the young chief of the Fire Tribe. My father wants to see him. Go and inform him." Her voice was clear and crisp, carrying an undeniable air of authority, completely different from when she had spoken to Yan earlier.

The guard Xiaotou quickly clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Miss, the leader told us that Young Master Yan can go straight in when he arrives. The leader specifically instructed that there's no need to announce our arrival."

Qingsui nodded, a satisfied expression on her face, and said, "Okay." She turned around, looked at Yan, and softened her voice, saying, "Yan, you go in first, I'll wait for you here."

Yan nodded, glanced at her, then turned and walked into the council hall. Inside, the flames in the hearth flickered, illuminating the room brightly. A faint fruity fragrance mingled with the smell of firewood, creating a comforting atmosphere. Daiyue was standing by the window, his back to the door, looking at the scenery outside. Hearing footsteps, he turned around, a smile spreading across his face, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

"Young Master Yan, you've worked hard these past two days." Daiyue strode forward, grasped Yan's hands, shook them vigorously, and continued, "I heard our handover is almost complete."

Yan nodded, feeling the warmth of Daiyue's palm, and said, "Yes, Chief Daiyue, the exchange of grain and pottery between our two tribes is basically complete. There are only some minor matters left, which should be finished soon. I can set off back to the Fire Tribe first thing tomorrow morning."

Daiyue nodded, released his hand, patted Yan's shoulder, and said, "That's good. You'll be leaving tomorrow, and I'll see you off." His tone was sincere, tinged with reluctance and solemnity.

Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Then Daiyue, Chief Daiyue."

Daiyue waved his hand, pulled Yan to a seat, and said, "It's only right. The Fire Tribe is now our Valley Tribe's most important trading partner, and our Valley Tribe must treat them with great respect."

He gestured for Yan to sit down, then sat down opposite him. Reaching for a fruit plate on the table, he said, "Come, Young Chief Yan, try some of our Valley Tribe's autumn fruits. They're at their best this time of year—sweet and juicy."

The fruit platter contained several kinds of fruit, some golden yellow, some purplish-red, and some greenish-blue. Each fruit was plump and round, still covered with morning dew, glistening in the firelight. Yan picked up a golden yellow fruit, took a bite, and found the flesh soft and juicy, sweet with a hint of sourness—it tasted really good.

He nodded and praised, "It's really delicious, sweet and juicy."

Daiyue smiled, his wrinkles deepening, and said, "These are sweet fruits unique to our Valley Tribe. They can only be tasted at this time of year. They don't keep for long, and the yield is low. Many people in our own tribe can only taste them. They are usually only brought out when distinguished guests arrive." His tone carried a hint of pride and appreciation.

Yan took another bite, juice dripping from the corner of his mouth. He quickly wiped it with the back of his hand and said, "Then I'm truly fortunate. Daiyue your hospitality, Chief Daiyue."

Daiyue waved his hand, picked up a fruit himself, and ate it slowly. The two chatted as they ate, making small talk in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Daiyue asked about the autumn harvest of the Fire Tribe, and Yan answered him one by one. Yan asked about the planting situation of the Valley Tribe, Daiyue also gave a detailed explanation.

After finishing the fruit, Daiyue wiped his hands, his smile fading and his expression becoming serious. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice.

"Chief Yan, your Fire Tribe has developed so fast." His voice was calm, with a bit of emotion, "In just a few years, it has grown to 110,000 people, and shipbuilding is also very fast. Now we have even built a ship with a load capacity of 50,000 kilograms. By the end of next year, we are sure to build a ship with a load capacity of 100,000 kilograms."

Yan nodded, his expression calm, and said, "Our Fire Tribe has also made many sacrifices these past few years. Reaching this point is the result of the collective efforts of all our people." He paused, his gaze becoming distant, "The Tiger Tribe downstream of the Fish River is not easy to deal with; our Fire Tribe also needs to make more preparations."

Daiyue nodded, sighed—a sigh that was particularly clear in the quiet council hall—and said with a hint of helplessness and bitterness, "We've dealt with the Tiger Tribe for many years, and we've suffered quite a few losses at their hands."

His voice lowered as he said, "The Tiger Tribe has imposed sanctions on our Valley Tribe. Pottery isn't selling well downstream of the Fish River, especially in the Willow Vine Tribe and the Great Luwei Tribe, which are closer to the Tiger Tribe. They're more affected by the Tiger Tribe; they don't dare buy it, and we don't dare sell it to them. Coarse salt is slightly better; it's unmarked, so it's hard to tell who produced it, and it's easy to sell. As long as we do it discreetly, the Tiger Tribe won't find out for now."

Yan frowned slightly and said, "Then your business will definitely be greatly affected. Will the Tiger Tribe fill these empty markets themselves?"

Daiyue nodded and said, "The Tiger Tribe will fill some of the markets in the Willow Vine Tribe and the Great Luwei Tribe, which are closer to them; they've handed over most of the markets in the Great Rock and the Greater Qing Tribe, which are farther away, to the Bear Tribe." His voice carried a hint of resentment, "With this allocation, the Bear Tribe's strength will continue to increase, forcing our Valley Tribe to find ways to strengthen itself as well."

He paused, looked at Yan, and continued, "Our Valley Tribe plans to increase its population by 5,000 people in the next two years to cope with various situations. After all, more people mean more strength, and more people are always better than fewer people."

Yan nodded in agreement and said, "Increasing the population will also increase food production and strengthen our strength. It's a win-win situation. With more people, more land can be cultivated, more grain can be harvested, and more grain can support more people. It's a virtuous cycle."

Daiyue shook his head, his brows furrowing even more deeply. He said, "But these alone are not enough." His voice was low, as if afraid of being overheard. "Now the Tiger Tribe has cut off our supply of bronze farm tools, implements, and weapons. With the Tiger Tribe's covert support, the Bear Tribe will only grow stronger. Our Valley Tribe's bronze artifacts will slowly wear down. Every broken piece is one less. If this continues, our Valley Tribe will be in trouble. We won't have replacement Chutou when they break, and we'll have to sharpen our sickles until they're duller. What will we use to farm? What will we use to fight?"

He looked up at Yan, his eyes filled with a mixture of expectation and uncertainty, and said, "Your Fire Tribe builds ships so quickly, you must have used a lot of bronze tools, right? Without bronze tools, you couldn't have built so many ships, nor such good ships."

Yan remained silent for a while. He knew what Daiyue wanted to say and how he should answer. The fact that the Fire Tribe could manufacture bronze artifacts could be kept secret for a while, but not forever. The Valley Tribe had already guessed it. Rather than letting them guess, it was better to admit it directly. Moreover, the Fire Tribe did indeed need the Valley Tribe as an ally.

"Yes." He nodded, his voice calm but firm. "Our Fire Tribe can indeed manufacture bronze artifacts now, and the output is quite high. We can make Chutou, sickles, axes, saws, chisels, and bronze weapons as well."

Daiyue's eyes lit up, and he began to speak, "Then..." He opened his mouth, then stopped.

Yan knew what he wanted to ask and said it directly, "If the Valley Tribe is willing to develop a military cooperation relationship with our Fire Tribe, we are willing to sell some bronze artifacts to the Valley Tribe. The price is negotiable, and the quality is guaranteed."

Daiyue's breathing quickened, his chest heaving. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and tapped his fingers on the table a few times, the rhythm rapid, like the beat of a drum.

"The Fire Tribe is indeed formidable." He took a deep breath, trying to calm his voice. "I also discussed it with the seven elders of our tribe yesterday. Our Valley Tribe is willing to develop a military cooperation relationship with the Fire Tribe." He paused, his gaze becoming serious. "However, it's best to develop this privately for now. If we go public, the Tiger Tribe will definitely cause trouble."

Yan nodded in understanding and said, "Our Fire Tribe shares the same thought. After all, our Fire Tribe's strength is still somewhat inferior to the Tiger Tribe's; we are not as good as them in terms of population, ships, and weapons."

He paused, his gaze hardening, and said, "Once our Fire Tribe's population surpasses that of the Tiger Tribe, and we have more and larger ships than them, then it won't matter if we go public. They'll have to think twice before causing trouble."

Daiyue nodded, a satisfied expression on his face, and said, "Then it's settled."

Yan nodded and said, "It's settled."

They looked at each other and smiled. In those smiles were trust, understanding, and a little bit of anticipation for the future.

Daiyue seemed to remember something, and his smile faded slightly. He said, "A while ago, spies from the Bear Tribe were inquiring about your Fire Tribe. They were loitering around the tribes near the Valley Tribe, asking all sorts of questions, acting very suspiciously."

He looked at Yan and said seriously, "Our people informed them in advance and managed to fool them for now. They don't know the specific situation of your Fire Tribe yet. As for the bronze trade between our two tribes, we won't tell anyone outside. Don't worry."

Yan nodded, relieved, and said, "That's good. As for the bronze trade, our two tribes will keep it a secret for now, as long as we can. We'll talk about it when we can't keep it a secret any longer."

Daiyue nodded, picked up another fruit and handed it to Yan, saying, "Here, have another one, let's eat and chat."

Yan took the fruit, took a bite, and the juice burst in his mouth, sweet and delicious. Daiyue also picked up a fruit and ate it slowly, as if savoring something. After finishing, he wiped his hands and spoke again.

"So, after our Little Valley Camp Outpost drove away the remnants of your Wolf Tribe, they caused trouble again around the Great Luwei and Great Boulder Tribe a while ago." He frowned. "I heard they caused quite a ruckus recently, raiding several small tribes, killing people, stealing grain, and kidnapping many able-bodied men, forcing those two tribes to absorb a lot of manpower. Now, each of their tribes has nearly ten thousand people." He looked at Yan. "They're also inquiring about the Wolf Tribe, trying to find out where these people came from."

Yan's heart sank. The Wolf Tribe, it's the Wolf Tribe again. That guy Xueya is like an unkillable cockroach. He's scattered, but he just gets back together, like weeds that keep growing back after being cut down.

"That Wolf Tribe is ruthless and cunning," Yan said, his voice tinged with resentment. "They were causing trouble in the Big Horse River Basin. Luckily, your Valley Tribe intervened in time, otherwise they would have been a real problem. If they had gained more power, this whole area would have been in turmoil."

Daiyue nodded, deeply agreeing, "Yes, those two tribes didn't take those hundred or so people seriously at first, thinking they were too few to cause any trouble. But a while ago, that group quickly swelled to over a thousand men. They calmed down a bit, but after the autumn harvest, seeing that the other tribe had finished their harvest, they started causing trouble again."

Yan thought for a moment and said, "Then we still need to keep a close eye on them. If the Wolf Tribe's strength grows and they join forces with the Bear Tribe, it will be troublesome. Who knows what kind of trouble two scourges will cause together?"

Daiyue nodded, his expression grave, and said, "I will keep an eye on it. I will send more scouts to Little Valley Camp to keep an eye on their movements, and I will inform you as soon as there is any disturbance."

Yan clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Daiyue, Chief Daiyue."

Daiyue waved his hand and said, "Of course. The Wolf Tribe is fierce and cunning; they are our common enemy, not just the enemy of your Fire Tribe."

The two chatted for a while longer, discussing the specific details of developing military cooperation between the two tribes: how to exchange bronze artifacts, what to use in exchange, how much to exchange, when to exchange, where to exchange, and who would be responsible for each. They agreed on everything, item by item. Regarding next year's grain trade, the two also reached a new agreement: 60% would be traded in bronze artifacts, and 40% in coarse salt. The grain would remain the same, but the items used for exchange had changed.

After finishing their business, Daiyue leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief. A relaxed expression appeared on his face, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Yan also leaned back in his chair, feeling much more relaxed as well. The two chatted for a few more minutes before Yan got up to take his leave.

"Chief Daiyue, I'll head back to the Fire Tribe's temporary camp now. After all, we're setting off early tomorrow morning, and we still need to make some preparations."

Daiyue stood up, grasped Yan's hand, and said, "Alright, I'll take you there tomorrow morning."

Yan nodded, turned and walked out of the council hall. Outside the door, Qingsui was standing under a big tree, holding a blade of grass in her hand, teasing a chick perched on a branch. The chick tilted its head, looking at the grass in her hand. Hearing footsteps, Qingsui turned around, a smile on her face.

"Have you finished talking?"

Yan nodded and said, "Yes, we've finished talking."

Qingsui walked over, stood beside him, and said, "Shall we go play?"

Yan smiled and said, "Okay, let's go to the camp first, I'll make you something delicious."

The two walked side by side toward the dock.