Plans for New Outposts

Yan led his fleet of ships back to the Fire Tribe's headquarters dock in a grand procession. Jian Jianshi and several of the Fire Tribe tribe's leaders were already waiting there. He wore a long linen robe, and Qingye stood beside him in a light-colored linen skirt embroidered with Little Flower, lifelike pink petals and green leaves. Her hair was neatly combed and held up with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears, shimmering in the sunlight like golden threads. Dabang, Jijiao, Canglan, Wu Xiong, and others stood behind them.

The fleet slowly docked, and the new tribespeople disembarked one after another. Guided by the Fire Tribe tribe members, they went to designated places to rest, eat, and settle down. Gaogan Gan, the chief of the Long Leaf Tribe, disembarked and stood on the dock, looking around at the tall wooden houses, the neat fields, and the herds of cattle and sheep. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open, unable to close for a long time. His two sons, Gaogang and Gaoling, stood behind him, equally astonished, as if they had entered a grand garden. Zhuangzhi Zhi, the chief of the Short Leaf Tribe, disembarked, looked at the granaries in the distance, and clicked his tongue in amazement. His younger brother, Zhuanggen, stood beside him, also looking incredulous.

Jianshi saw Yan disembark and arrive at the dock, and hurried over to greet him. His steps were hurried, and he looked Yan up and down, his gaze like a comb, from head to toe and back again. His face was full of smiles as he said, "Yan, you did a great job this time! You brought back over ten thousand more people to our Fire Tribe! Over ten thousand! Now our Fire Tribe's population has exceeded 140,000. Adding the natural population increase we haven't been able to count during this period, our Fire Tribe's population has exceeded 150,000! 150,000! That's not much different from the Tiger Tribe's population."

Yan smiled and said, "Seeing the tribe grow stronger and stronger, I'm just as motivated as everyone else. I'm full of energy, like I have inexhaustible strength, and I'm not afraid of any hardship or fatigue."

The two chatted for a few more minutes, asking about the journey, the mood of the new tribespeople, and the chief of the Long Leaf Tribe Short Leaf Tribe. Then, Jianshi led Yan towards the Fire Tribe's council hall. The group passed through the camp and walked along the stone path towards the council hall. There were densely packed wooden houses on both sides of the road, and several children were squatting by the roadside playing with pebbles. When they saw the group, they quickly stood up and stood obediently to the side, their eyes fixed on Yan with curiosity.

In the council hall of the Fire Tribe headquarters, the firewood in the hearth was burning brightly, crackling and sputtering, making the room warm and cozy, dispelling some of the chill and making one drowsy. Several animal skin maps hung on the wall, with the distribution of the Fire Tribe's various strongholds and fields drawn in charcoal, densely packed like a spider web.

Everyone sat down, with Jianshi in the main seat, Qingye to his left and Yan to his right. Below them sat the leaders in order: Dabang, Jijiao, Canglan, and Wu Xiong. Jianshi picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea was fresh and fragrant.

He put down his teacup, the bottom of which tapped softly on the table, and said, "During this time, not only has the population of our Fire Tribe increased considerably, but we've also built quite a few ships. The craftsmen have been working day and night, with the workshops never ceasing operations, in three shifts. This year, our shipbuilding plan will be completed soon. Yan, after you return, you'll work with me to oversee the relocation of the Fire Tribe's management center. The basic work is now done; the houses are built, the roads are repaired, the docks have been expanded, and the warehouses are constructed. Only some finishing touches remain. Once Jianya returns from the Horse Tribe's trade, we'll head to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. We can't delay any longer; it'll get cold soon."

Yan nodded in agreement, stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Yes, Father, I'll work with you to get this last bit done well, and do it beautifully."

Then Yan spoke up, "Father, after absorbing this wave of people, our Fire Tribe's sphere of influence has reached the Clothing River South Bank. We've absorbed almost all the small tribes there, like picking beans. Now the entire Green Leaf River basin is our Fire Tribe's territory, but most of the people there have already migrated to our Fire Tribe's side. The fields are abandoned, the grass is taller than people; the houses are empty, and the people are gone. I suggest we add a new stronghold at the Green Leaf River Mouth and another at the Little Horse River Mouth, one on each side, one in the east and one in the west, like two eyes. This way, we can also establish strongholds at the mouths of the Little Fish River Mouth and the Red Flower River Mouth Outpost." Having a forward outpost, like a sentry or gatekeeper, will allow us to be better informed. We'll know when the enemy is coming sooner, our defenses will be stronger, and our Fire Tribe can prepare in advance, avoiding being caught off guard. This also makes our Little Fish River Mouth Outpost and Red Flower River Mouth Outpost a rear base, making it easier for us to build Little Fish River Mouth Outpost and sleep soundly at night. Furthermore, establishing outposts at Green Leaf River Mouth Red Flower River Mouth Outpost Little Horse River Mouth will facilitate our Fire Tribe's external communication and trade. If other smaller tribes want to join our Fire Tribe in the future, communication will be much easier.

Everyone nodded in agreement with Yan's words. Some slammed their fists on the table, others slapped their thighs, and still others shouted their approval. Dabang stroked his beard, his fingers trembling slightly, his eyes narrowed to slits, and his mouth stretched to his ears as he said, "This is a good idea. With these two forward outposts, our Fire Tribe can attack or defend as needed."

Jijiao also nodded and said, "Yes, the sooner these two strongholds are built, the sooner our Fire Tribe can feel at ease and have peace of mind." Canglan and Wu Xiong also expressed their agreement, saying that Yan had thought things through.

Jianshi also spoke up, "Yan, your idea is good, and it's very thoughtful and far-sighted. After we get to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, we can discuss it properly, see how to build it, how big it should be, how many people to send, and how much supplies we need. As for who should be in charge of those two strongholds, we can discuss that later and see who is suitable, who has the ability, and who has the experience."

Next, everyone discussed the arrangements for the Fire Tribe headquarters. Fire Tribe headquarters was in an excellent location, with only one road in and out, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, like a fortress. Although its development potential was limited, as the area was small and expansion was difficult, its secrecy was excellent; outsiders couldn't get in, and news from within couldn't get out, making it like a secluded paradise. Jianshi decided to temporarily use Fire Tribe Fire Tribe headquarters as its training and re-education center. If other new tribes joined the Fire Tribe, they would be placed here to live and learn for a period, learning rules, recuperating, practicing martial arts, and improving their physical condition before being sent to other outposts. Jianshi also planned to use it as the Fire Tribe's research center. If they needed to develop a ship with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin (approximately 100,000 kg) or other new technologies, they could do so here. The Fire Tribe headquarters was safe and secure, with no fear of theft or sabotage.

Everyone expressed their agreement, nodding vigorously like chickens pecking at rice. Some praised Jian Shi for his far- Jianshi, some praised Yan for his many ideas, some praised the Fire Tribe for getting better and better, and some praised the increasingly hopeful future.

They chatted for a while longer, discussing the resettlement of the new inhabitants—who would live in which house, and who would be allocated which plot of land; the maintenance of the fleet—which ships needed repairs, and which needed their moorings replaced; and the final stages of the autumn harvest—whether there was any grain left to dry. Then, they gradually left to attend to their own affairs.

Twenty days later, Jianya returned. Following Jianya Jianshi's instructions, the oxen were gradually placed at various outposts along the route: Pottery Salt River Mouth, Stone Creek River Mouth, and the High Pointed Mountain —a few oxen at each outpost. These outposts were constantly reclaiming new fields, requiring oxen; the more oxen, the faster the land was reclaimed, and the more fields were cultivated. Jianya took all the horses back to the Fire Tribe headquarters. These were short-legged horses, plump and strong, with glossy coats. How to distribute these horses would be discussed later—whether to give them to Hunting Team, transport teams, allocate some to various outposts, or keep them for breeding.

As soon as Jianya returned, Jianshi put him in charge of the Fire Tribe headquarters. Jianya had a heavy responsibility in the Fire Tribe headquarters. In addition to the Fire Tribe headquarters, he was also responsible for the Fire Creek River Middle Outpost, the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost, the Little Gathering River Mouth Outpost, the Small Gathering Valley Outpost, as well as the outposts of the Bison, White Pig, Green Sheep, and Deer Tribe. He was in charge of tens of thousands of people, which was a heavy burden and a great responsibility. Jianshi gave Jianya some instructions, talked about the situation of each outpost, talked about the things to pay attention to, talked about how to deal with problems, and told him to contact him at any time if anything happened. Jianya wrote them down one by one, nodded and agreed, and patted his chest to guarantee that he would develop and build this area well.

Then, Jianshi led the massive fleet downstream along the Fire Creek River, merging into the Fish River, and then downstream along the Fish River towards the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. Qingye, Yan, Dabang, Jijiao, Canglan, Wu Xiong, and others followed, each standing at the Chuantou, facing the wind and gazing into the distance. The colossal ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin led the way, its Chuantou raised high, cleaving the river and stirring up white Langhua. Behind it followed many large ships, laden with supplies, food, tools, belongings, as well as warriors and craftsmen, a dense, dark mass.