Secret Talks and Plans

On the afternoon of the third day, the last bag of grain was loaded onto the boat. The Fire Tribe's temporary camp was bustling with activity. Shibang stood on the dock, hands on his hips, like an iron tower, watching the warriors work. His face was covered in sweat, glistening in the sunlight like it was coated with oil. His linen clothes were soaked through, clinging to his body and revealing the outline of his strong muscles. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hurry up! Last trip! We'll call it a day after this! Extra food tonight, all you can eat!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers' spirits lifted, and they quickened their pace, running off the ship like a gust of wind and back onto it just as quickly.

Yingmu leaped off a large ship, landing steadily on the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. He dusted his hands, walked to the Shibang, watched as the last sack of grain was loaded onto the ship, and let out a long sigh.

"Almost done," he said, his voice tinged with both weariness and satisfaction. "Six million catties of grain, loaded in three days, much faster than before. These big ships are great; they can carry a lot, they run fast, saving time and effort."

Shibang grinned, revealing a set of white teeth that gleamed in the sunlight. "That's right! Before, it would take several days to load two million catties of grain, with small boats making trip after trip, exhausting us. Now, these big ships just dock at the pier, throw the sacks on, and one trip is equivalent to ten trips."

He paused, turned to look at Yingmu, his eyes sparkling, and said, "Where's the boss? I don't think I see him."

Yingmu gestured towards the camp and said, "He went to wash up and told us to keep an eye on things. He said the rest are just chores, and we can handle them."

Shibang nodded, patted his chest, and said, "Of course! We could do these jobs with our eyes closed, why would we need him watching over us?"

He glanced towards the camp and asked in a low voice, "Do you think the boss went to find Qingsui?"

Yingmu glared at him and said, "Mind your own business and get back to work."

Shibang shrank his neck, chuckled twice, and turned to direct the soldiers to do the final finishing touches.

In the Fire Tribe's temporary camp, Yan was squatting by a basin of water, washing his face. The water was drawn from the river and was cool and refreshing. It splashed on his face, washing away the sweat and fatigue. He wiped his face with a burlap towel, then put his hands in the basin to soak and rub the dirt off his fingers.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tent, drawing golden lines on the ground. Outside, the shouts, footsteps, and laughter of the soldiers mingled together, creating a lively scene, like a bustling market.

Yan stood up, straightened his clothes, and put on a blue linen robe with a leather belt around his waist and straw sandals on his feet. His hair was neatly combed. As soon as he stepped out of the tent, he saw Qingsui.

Qingsui stood at the camp gate, followed by two maids. She wore a light green linen dress with several Little Flower embroidered on the hem. The petals were pink and the leaves were green, and they were very lifelike. Her hair was tied into a simple bun and held in place with a copper hairpin—a keepsake left to her by her mother. She usually couldn't bear to wear it and would only take it out on important days.

The sunlight shone on her, bathing her in a golden glow. Yan paused for a moment, then smiled. Qingsui smiled too, and walked towards Yan with light steps.

"I just got the news that you've almost finished your work here, so I came to find you." Her voice was clear and pleasant.

Yan nodded and said with a smile, "You've come at the perfect time. I just finished tidying up. Shall we go for a walk?"

Qingsui shook her head, her face showing a mixture of apology and helplessness, and said, "It might be a little late. My father asked me to invite you over to have a talk with him."

Yan was slightly taken aback, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go with you now."

He was a little suspicious. Daiyue was definitely not looking for him at this time for casual conversation. Daiyue was probably looking for him again today because he had new arrangements or new requests. Qingsui led Yan through the Valley Tribe's camp and headed towards the council hall.

Along the way, the villagers of the Valley Tribe made way for them, some nodding in greeting, some whispering amongst themselves, and some casting curious glances. A little boy of about four or five years old ran up to Qingsui, holding a wildflower in his hand, and said in a childish voice, "Sister Qingsui, here's a flower for you!"

Qingsui knelt down, took the flowers, patted the little boy's head, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Xiaoshi."

She tucked the flower behind her ear, stood up, and continued walking. The little wildflower swayed gently beside her ear, its yellow petals shimmering in the sunlight, like a golden butterfly resting on her ear. Yan looked at her profile and felt a warmth in his heart.

Two warriors with spears stood at the entrance of the Valley Tribe's council hall. When they saw Qingsui and Yan, they did not stop them, but simply nodded slightly and opened the door for them.

In the council chamber, Daiyue sat in the main seat, with a stack of wooden tablets in front of him. He was holding one in his hand and looking at it. Hearing the noise, he looked up, a smile on his face, and got up to greet him.

"Young Master Yan, you've arrived? Please have a seat." His voice was loud and clear, but there were faint dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he hadn't slept well for the past few days.

Yan clasped his hands in greeting and sat down opposite Daiyue. Qingsui didn't go far, resting in a small hut next to the council hall.

Daiyue looked into Yan's eyes, his gaze filled with warmth and gratitude.

"Chief Yan, I've been handling post-war work in the tribe these past few days and haven't been to the docks. Have you packed all your supplies? Was it smooth? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Yan nodded, a smile on his face, and said, "It's all packed. Six million catties of grain were all packed this afternoon. We cooperated very well with Chief Fengren and Elder Hefeng. They are experienced and arranged everything in an orderly manner. There were no problems at all. There are still some miscellaneous tasks left. Shibang and Yingmu are keeping an eye on things. We can return to the Fire Tribe first thing tomorrow morning."

Daiyue breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that everything went smoothly. We'll go to the dock to see you off tomorrow morning. Your Fire Tribe has helped us a lot this time, we can't just not see you off, that would be unreasonable and outrageous."

Yan said, "Daiyue, Chief Daiyue."

Daiyue waved his hand and said, "That's only right. Your Fire Tribe treats us like brothers, so we can't treat you like outsiders. This time, the Tiger Tribe and Bear Tribe suddenly attacked, throwing our Valley Tribe into chaos. Our Valley Tribe suffered heavy losses this time. We lost nearly half of our naval strength. Five large ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties sank, and dozens of small ships sank. The dock of the Little Valley Camp Outpost was burned down, and more than 200 soldiers died, and many more were injured."

He sighed and said, "Fortunately, your Fire Tribe came to our aid in time, otherwise we would have suffered greater losses. We are very grateful that your Fire Tribe is willing to give us ships on credit at half price to help us recover our strength."

Yan listened attentively without speaking. Daiyue's voice grew more serious as he continued, "After suffering such a loss here, the Tiger Tribe will definitely seek revenge. They've suffered such a great loss and lost so much face; they can't just let it go. Although they'll wait a while before coming again, their attacks will be much stronger, with more ships, more elite troops, and better preparations. We need to find a way to improve our strength, otherwise, if the Tiger Tribe comes again, our Valley Tribe might not be able to withstand it."

Yan nodded and said, "It's only right for our Fire Tribe to help the Valley Tribe. Chief Daiyue, you've been dealing with the Tiger Tribe for so many years, you must know a lot about their situation, right? You also have many information channels over there, you must have a lot of intelligence, right? Could you tell me about it so I can have a better understanding?"

Daiyue nodded and said, "The story of the Tiger Tribe is a long one. A hundred years ago, the Tiger Tribe was a medium-sized tribe with a population of a few thousand. It was neither too big nor too small, nothing special."

"Later, a large tribe in the north that possessed bronze technology disintegrated due to internal strife. One branch— the Great Copper Tribe —fled south and sought refuge with the Tiger Tribe. The Tiger Tribe's leader took them in, and they acquired bronze-making technology, rapidly expanding their power. Over the next hundred years, the Tiger Tribe successively annexed the White Salt Tribe, the Rice Tribe, the Great Pottery Tribe, and the Cloth Tribe, ultimately becoming the overlord of the Fish River Basin."

Daiyue's voice deepened as he continued, "However, after the Tiger Tribe expanded outwards, it clashed fiercely with the Wuyue Tribe to the east and the Shu Tribe to the west. These two tribes were not weak either, each with a population of over ten thousand and possessing bronze technology; they were not easy targets. Thirteen years ago, the previous leader of the Tiger Tribe Hu Qingtian, was severely wounded while conquering the Wuyue Tribe to the east. He was carried back and died a few days later. Before his death, he entrusted his five-year-old eldest son to the Grand Elder, asking the Grand Elder to assist him in succeeding to the throne."

Daiyue paused, picked up the earthenware bowl on the table, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and then continued, "The Grand Elder is from the Great Copper Tribe and is also the new chief's maternal grandfather. The new chief is only five years old, knows nothing, and knows nothing, so the power naturally rests with the Grand Elder. This has aroused strong dissatisfaction among the three brothers of the previous chief, who believe that the Grand Elder is usurping power and may seize the throne. As a result, the Tiger Tribe has been embroiled in internal strife for more than ten years, which has seriously hindered its external expansion. They are fighting among themselves; how can they have the mind to fight others or the energy to manage external affairs?"

Daiyue put down the pottery bowl, looked at Yan, and said with a mixture of relief and mockery in his eyes, "Now, the new leader is eighteen years old. He's grown up, become more sensible, and is slowly taking control. In the past few years, he has tried to ease relations with the Shu Tribe to the west of the Tiger Tribe, greatly reducing the military threat. Things have finally calmed down in the west, and we no longer have to fight on both sides. At the same time, he has also begun to ease internal conflicts and strengthen supervision over the Fish River Basin —the sanctions against our Valley Tribe were his doing."

He sighed and said, "Currently, the Tiger Tribe is jointly managed by the five elders and the Great Tiger Tribe. The Great Tiger Tribe usually inherits the position of leader, and the other five elders also participate in decision-making. However, the power of the elders is still very great, like a big tree, deeply rooted and difficult to shake. This is the basic situation of the Tiger Tribe. The Tiger Tribe is now estimated to have about 180,000 people, which is several times larger than our Valley Tribe."

Daiyue's voice grew heavier as he said, "After this defeat, they'll probably try to strengthen themselves by increasing their ships, warriors, and weapons. We also need to find a way to strengthen ourselves, otherwise, if they come again, our Valley Tribe really won't be able to withstand it."

Yan listened attentively and said, "So that's how the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe. After so many years of development, they must have accumulated a lot of resources. For now, we should just passively defend and not provoke them. That way, they won't expand their strength wildly and won't focus all their energy on us. The longer we can hold out, the more advantageous the situation will be for us."

Daiyue nodded, an approving expression on his face, and said, "Yes, although the Tiger Tribe will try to strengthen themselves after their defeat here, their internal conflicts won't be resolved quickly unless they face a life-or-death crisis. In recent years, our Valley Tribe has also consumed a lot of resources to increase the population, and with this loss, our previously accumulated resources are almost gone."

He paused, then looked up at Yan, his eyes filled with expectation and pleading, and said, "Our Valley Tribe's population will increase to 40,000 this year. With the increased population, we'd like to exchange 40% of the 20 million catties of grain and salt we traded with the Fire Tribe this year for bronze weapons to strengthen our forces. Do you think that's acceptable? Wouldn't that be too much of a burden for you?"

Yan nodded almost without hesitation and said, "That's no problem. I can give these bronze weapons to your Valley Tribe in advance today to strengthen your forces. A stronger Valley Tribe will also be very beneficial to our Fire Tribe."

Upon hearing this, Daiyue's face blossomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes smoothed out. He grabbed Yan's hand and squeezed it tightly, excitedly saying, "That's wonderful! With these bronze weapons, almost all the warriors of our Valley Tribe can be equipped with bronze weapons! This will greatly increase our combat effectiveness in battle!"

He released Yan's hand, picked up the earthenware bowl, took a big gulp of water, and continued in a tentative and consultative tone, "In addition, the Clothing Tribe and Bean Tribe are also semi-subordinate tribes of our Valley Tribe, and have a very close relationship with us. I also want to trade some bronze weapons with your Fire Tribe on their behalf to improve their strength. The two tribes together have a population of about 10,000, and with their core subordinate tribes, the population can reach about 20,000."

He looked into Yan's eyes, his gaze pleading, and said, "If we include those 20,000 men, our Valley Tribe can mobilize more than 10,000 warriors when something really happens. If the Tiger Tribe really attacks in the future, our Valley Tribe will be able to handle things more easily and won't be as scrambling as we were this time."

Yan pondered for a moment, then looked up at Daiyue, nodded, and said, "Alright, our Fire Tribe also needs more supplies, and I can grant you this request."

Daiyue was overjoyed, his smile widening until his eyes narrowed to slits and his mouth stretched to his ears. "Good, good, good! Thank you, Chief Yan! Thank you, Fire Tribe! We, the Valley Tribe, will remember your kindness and never forget it!"

Yan waved his hand and said, "No need to thank me. Our Fire Tribe now has a population of about 160,000, but we feel that's not enough. We'd like to continue recruiting people from the north. I wonder if Chief Daiyue has any suggestions? You've been operating here for decades, so you should know the surrounding tribes very well, much better than I do."

Upon hearing this, Daiyue's eyes lit up, and he said, "We also hope that the Fire Tribe has as many people as possible and as strong as possible. If your Fire Tribe is strong, our Valley Tribe will be safer and more at ease. If your Fire Tribe could directly border our Valley Tribe, that would be even better. This way, it would be convenient for our two tribes to look after each other and provide support quickly. We could just say the word if something happens, without having to take a long detour or wait for a long time."

He looked up at Yan and said, "As for your Fire Tribe absorbing people, as long as you don't absorb the core and subordinate tribes of the Clothing Tribe, we won't interfere. If you absorb those tribes in the Big Horse River Basin, they will border our Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp. If you can subdue those tribes, our territories will be connected."

Yan listened attentively, nodded, and said, "Okay, with Chief Daiyue's words, I feel more at ease. Our Fire Tribe will first develop along the Clothing River, absorbing the tribes on both sides of the Clothing River, and then advance northward towards the Big Horse River Basin."

Daiyue nodded and said, "A steady and methodical approach is the right thing to do. It's already quite remarkable that your Fire Tribe has grown to 160,000 people in just a few years. Young Chief Yan, don't worry, our Valley Tribe will use covert means to gather information on the Tiger Tribe and Bear Tribe. We'll notify you immediately of any movements from the Tiger Tribe; we'll also inform you of any activity from the Bear Tribe. Our Valley Tribe still has informants, connections, and reliable information."

Yan nodded and said, "Daiyue, Chief Daiyue. With your information, our Fire Tribe can prepare in advance, instead of being blind and deaf."

Daiyue waved his hand and said, "No need to thank me, it's nothing."

Yan, seeing that the conversation was nearly over, stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Daiyue, and said, "Chief Daiyue, everything has been discussed. I'll take my leave now. See you at the dock tomorrow morning."

Daiyue also stood up and said, "Alright! We'll see you off at the dock tomorrow morning!"

Sunlight streamed in from outside, so bright it was blinding. Yan squinted, adjusted her eyes for a moment, and then stepped out of the council hall.

Qingsui saw Yan and walked beside him, asking, "Yan, are you really leaving tomorrow?"

Her voice was very soft, as if she were asking an unimportant question, or as if she were confirming something very important.

Yan nodded and said, "We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. The food is packed, the business is done, it's time to go back."

Qingsui fell silent, her head bowed as she followed Yan step by step, her pace slow.