Giant Ships and a Long Journey

The distance between the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost is neither too far nor too close. It would take about ten days to walk from one to the other, but it would be much faster to travel by boat downstream along the Fish River. With the river pushing the boat and a few strokes of the oar, it would take about three days to get there. If you were in a hurry, it would take less than two and a half days.

After Yan led his fleet out from the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost outpost, they traveled along the main channel of the Fish River for three days. By evening on the third day, the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost outpost was already in sight.

The dock was brightly lit, with torches stuck in a row on wooden stakes. The firelight reflected on the river, making it shimmer. The soldiers standing on the dock were in an uproar when they saw the fleet appear. Some waved, some shouted, and some ran back to report.

By the time the fleet docked, it was completely dark. The moon hadn't risen yet, and the stars twinkled densely in the sky. A night breeze blew by, carrying the coolness of the river and the fragrance of the distant fields, a mixture that was hard to describe as pleasant or unpleasant.

Yan jumped off the ship with light steps. He had been on the ship for several days, and the solid ground beneath his feet felt especially reassuring. He took a deep breath and strode towards the council hall. The council hall was brightly lit, with oil lamps hanging on the walls, their Jianshi flickering and illuminating every corner of the room. Jian Shi sat in the main seat, holding a wooden tablet and looking at something. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Yan enter, a smile immediately spreading across his face.

"You're back?" He put down the wooden tablet and stood up. "I heard your retrieval went very smoothly this time? You even brought five giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin each from the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost?"

Yan walked up to his father, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and then sat down in the chair next to him.

"Yes, Father, the evacuation went very smoothly. All five thousand-plus new recruits have been settled by Uncle Jianya in the valley at headquarters. There were no problems along the way, and everyone cooperated well."

Jianshi nodded, his eyes full of relief, and said, "That's good. More than five thousand people isn't a lot, but it's not a small number either. It will take a lot of work to settle them. Do Jianya have enough manpower? Should we send some more people over to help?"

Yan thought for a moment and said, "Jianya should have enough manpower. There shouldn't be any problem settling several thousand people in the main valley. Besides, the new recruits have been quite obedient along the way, doing whatever they're told without being picky."

He paused, a smile spreading across his face, his tone becoming lighter as he said, "Father, there's one more thing. Our shipbuilding workshop at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost has studied the parts of the Tiger Tribe's 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship, greatly increasing our shipbuilding efficiency. This time, we've built five more 100,000-jin carrying capacity ships. Jianya told me that our Fire Tribe's 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship manufacturing plan will be completed ahead of schedule this year. If everything goes smoothly, I'll be able to finish manufacturing them all by the time I return from transporting grain from the Valley Tribe."

Upon hearing Jianshi, Jian Shi's eyes lit up, and his smile deepened. He exclaimed repeatedly, "Good! Good! Good!" He said "good" three times in a row, each time louder and clearer than the last. "With twenty giant ships, each with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, the Fire Tribe can defend itself even if the Tiger Tribe attacks with all its might! Even if they send out their entire Fire Tribe, we won't be afraid!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the council hall, his heavy footsteps echoing on the wooden planks. After a few laps, he sat back down, looked at Yan, and said with a more solemn expression, "Yan, the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost has also built fifteen ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin this time. Take them all to the Valley Tribe to transport grain. Now our Fire Tribe has fifteen giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. Keep one at the Xiaoyu Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, one at Dazhuang's place at the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, and take the other thirteen to the Valley Tribe to transport grain."

Yan nodded, silently calculating in his mind, and said, "Then this time I can take eighty ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin to the Valley Tribe to transport grain."

Jianshi nodded and said, "Yes, you can also bring ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin and 10,000 jin. This time, we need to transport back the remaining few million jin of the 20 million jin of grain we ordered from the Valley Tribe this year."

He paused, then said, "When you go, take some supplies with you to the Big Horse River Basin. The Maple Leaf Tribe and the Toon Tribe won't come until after the autumn harvest. They still need to make a living during this time. If you take some supplies with you, their days will be much easier, and they'll feel more at ease."

He looked at Yan, his eyes full of concern and instructions, and said, "I've prepared all these supplies and things; they're all piled up in the warehouse. You can go and get them anytime. Get ready in the next couple of days and then set off. The sooner you go, the sooner you'll come back."

Yan stood up, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "Yes, Father, I will make the arrangements immediately."

He came out of the council hall, took a deep breath of the night air, and started planning what to do next: arrange the fleet, take stock of supplies, allocate manpower, send a boat to Dazhuang, deliver supplies to the Big Horse River Basin, transport grain to the Valley Tribe... He listed the tasks one by one. The workload was considerable, but it was all under his control.

For the next two days, the entire Little Fish River Mouth Outpost was bustling with activity. Supplies were being moved out of the warehouses, bag by bag, and stacked on the dock in bundles. Grain, salt, linen, and other supplies were piled up like small Little Mountain. Soldiers came and went, their steps hurried, like a group of busy ants.

Yan personally supervised the loading of the ship at the dock, directing the soldiers. The soldiers followed his instructions, handling the tasks with care, moving things carefully and efficiently, busy but not chaotic.

Two days later, the fleet was finally ready. The sails of more than a dozen giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 catties were already raised, forming a vast expanse of white. The oars were neatly arranged on the gunwales, and the bronze battering Chuantou on the bows gleamed in the morning light. Behind them followed eighty large ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties, as well as many ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 catties and 10,000 catties.

Yan stood at the Chuantou of the largest ship, his gaze sweeping across the entire fleet. A strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside him. He thought back to a few years ago, when the Fire Tribe only had a few Muzhou, barely enough to carry a few people. And now?

Jianshi and his men stood on the dock to see him off. Today he wore a blue linen robe, a leather belt with a bronze buckle around his waist, and animal skin boots. His hair was neatly combed, with a few strands of white hair gleaming in the morning light. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes held deep worry and reluctance.

"Be careful on the road. The grain can be brought back a few days later, but the people must return safely."

Yan nodded, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Father, rest assured, I will be careful."

He turned around and went into the cabin. The sound of the ox horn rang out, and the fleet slowly left the dock, one after another sailing into the main channel and going downstream. The boats were moving very fast, the oars cutting through the water with a splash; the sails were billowing in the wind, whistling, and the trees on the bank were rushing past.

Yan stood at the Chuantou, watching the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost grow smaller and smaller, farther and farther away, until it finally disappeared at the bend in the river. A few days later, the fleet arrived at the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost.

At the dock of the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, Dazhuang and his men were already standing there. Today, he was wearing a new blue linen robe, without patches or wrinkles, all neatly made. Around his waist was a leather belt with a bronze buckle, from which hung a bronze dagger. The scabbard was engraved with patterns that gleamed in the sunlight. On his feet were animal skin boots, the boot tops polished to a shine, clearly indicating that he had prepared carefully.

Behind him stood dozens of leaders and warriors, all craning their necks to look at the river. When they saw the Fire Tribe's massive fleet appear in their sight, they immediately stirred. Some shouted, some jumped up and down waving their hands, and some patted each other on the shoulder, as excited as a group of children. Dazhuang so excited that his hands were trembling. He stared intently at the dozen or so giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, his eyes scanning back and forth between them, as if searching for something, as if hoping for something.

As the grain convoy docked, Yan jumped off the ship. The moment his feet touched the ground of the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost dock, Dazhuang strode up to him.

"Yan'er!" His voice was loud and clear, like thunder. "You've finally arrived! I heard you brought over a dozen giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin each? Which one is on our side? Tell me quickly!"

Yan couldn't help but laugh at his impatient look.

"Uncle Dazhuang, don't worry." He patted Dazhuang's shoulder, the pressure light but enough to calm Dazhuang down. "Father instructed us that your place is located at the forefront of our Fire Tribe; it's our facade, our brand, so we definitely need to use the best of our best ships."

Hearing this, Dazhuang nodded repeatedly, his smile widening to his ears. "That's right! That's right! Our Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost is the face of the Fire Tribe's external communication! The ships that leave from here and the people that come from here represent the image of the Fire Tribe! We definitely need to use the best ships!"

He rubbed his hands together, his eyes sparkling, and asked, "Yan'er, tell me quickly, which ship is on our side? I can't wait!"

Yan turned around and pointed to the largest and sturdiest ship in the fleet, a giant ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. That ship was slightly larger than the others, with a wider hull, a more stable bottom, and a larger and thicker bronze ram at the Chuantou. The sails were new, white, and gleamed softly in the sunlight. The whole ship looked more majestic and imposing than the others.

"Uncle Dazhuang, that's the ship from your Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost." Yan pointed to the ship, his voice tinged with pride. "It's the fastest and sturdiest of the latest batch of ships built by our Fire Tribe. It's almost 10% faster than the older models, the planks are thicker, making it more impact-resistant, and the hull structure has been improved, making it more stable in the water and less prone to capsizing."

Dazhuang followed Yan's hand and looked over. His gaze fell on the ship and he couldn't look away. He stared blankly at the ship, his eyes unblinking, his mouth slightly open, his breathing becoming rapid, his chest rising and falling, and his fingers trembling slightly.

After a long while, he turned his head and looked at Yan, his eyes reddening.

"Yan'er, this... this is really for our Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost?"

Yan nodded and said, "It's true, Father said it himself. The Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost is the front line of our Fire Tribe, so it's only right that we equip it with a top-of-the-line giant ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin."

Dazhuang took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, and a smile spread across his face.

"That's wonderful! That's wonderful!" His voice trembled slightly, like a child receiving a beloved gift. "I've been waiting for this for so long, and it's finally here! Before, when I saw our Little Fish River Mouth Outpost with its giant ships that could carry 100,000 jin (50,000 kg) of cargo, I was so envious. Now, our Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost also has a giant ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin! And it's the biggest, sturdiest, and fastest one!"

He turned around and shouted to the leaders behind him, "See that ship? That's from our Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost! It's our Fire Tribe's newest and best ship! From now on, our warriors from the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost will use that ship for patrols and trade! Let all the tribes on the Fish River see the strength of our Fire Tribe!"

The leaders and soldiers also got excited. Some cheered, some whistled, some clapped, and some jumped up and down. The scene was so lively that it was like a pot had exploded.

Dazhuang turned around again, grabbed Yan's hand, and said, "Yan'er, thank you so much! Thank you so much!" His voice was full of gratitude. "Don't worry, I will definitely make good use of this ship and won't let it disgrace our Fire Tribe! Patrols, trade, battles—it will always be at the forefront!"

Yan said, "Uncle Dazhuang, you're too kind. This is only right. The Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost is the front line of our Fire Tribe, so it's only natural that we have a good ship."

He paused, then said, "I still need to deliver supplies to the Big Horse River Basin, and then transport grain to the Valley Tribe. I won't stay here any longer. You take some men to familiarize yourself with that ship, test its performance, and see just how fast and stable it really is."

Dazhuang nodded repeatedly, released Yan's hand, and said, "Alright! Alright! You go ahead with your work! I won't keep you any longer! You still need to transport grain to the Valley Tribe, we can't delay!"

He turned around, waved to the leaders and soldiers behind him, and said in a loud voice, "Come on! Follow me aboard! Let's try out our new ship!"

He strode toward the massive ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, his steps heavy and fast. The leaders and soldiers followed behind him, also hurrying along, each with a smile on their face.

Yan stood on the dock, watching Dazhuang and the others board the ship, a relieved smile on his face. Then he turned around and walked back to his own ship.

"Let's keep going! Our destination: the Big Horse River Basin!"

The fleet continued downstream along the Fish River, the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost becoming farther and smaller until it finally disappeared at the bend in the river.