Feasting and Looking North

After the Fire Tribe's temporary camp was set up next to the Valley Tribe's main dock, it was already getting dark. The setting sun dyed the sky orange-red, and the river reflected the glow of the sunset, sparkling in the water. The Fire Tribe warriors were still busy. Yan Gang walked back to the camp from the dock and was bending down to wash his hands. He scooped water from the wooden bucket and splashed it on his face, washing away the dust of the journey. He straightened up and wiped the water droplets off his face with a burlap towel when he heard footsteps coming from the camp gate.

Fengren approached with two men. Today, he wore a dark blue linen robe, newly made, with neatly sewn collar and cuffs, without a single frayed edge. A bronze buckle belt cinched his waist, from which hung a bronze dagger. The scabbard was engraved with simple patterns, gleaming darkly in the twilight. His hair was neatly combed and held in place with a wooden hairpin. He wore a smile, but his gaze remained sharp, like a blade always kept near its scabbard.

He walked to the camp gate, clasped his hands in a salute to Yan, and said in a loud voice, "Young Chief Yan! Our chief has prepared a banquet in the council hall and sent me to invite you there! Please!"

Yan nodded and said, "Okay, Leader Fengren, please wait a moment, I'll call a few people."

He turned and called out to the camp, "Jia Li, Shibang, Yingmu! Come with me to the feast!"

Jia Li emerged from the tent, having changed into a clean white linen robe. The robe was plain but of fine texture, and the collar was neatly trimmed. He wore the thoughtful smile typical of someone in charge, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if he had already mentally arranged everything for the evening.

Shibang and Yingmu also emerged from the camp. Shibang had changed into a dark gray linen robe, which, while not as elaborate as Jia Li's, was at least clean, without wrinkles or stains. He walked with large strides, his boots thumping on the ground, exuding energy. Yingmu followed behind him, wearing a blue linen robe, his hair neatly combed back with a leather cord, looking more tidy than usual.

The three men stopped behind Yan. Yan, along with some followers, followed Fengren towards the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters. Daiyue was already waiting at the entrance with the seven elders of the Valley Tribe. Today, he was wearing a brand-new blue linen robe, the fabric of which was thicker and the color brighter than his usual robe. He wore a leather belt with a bronze buckle around his waist and animal skin boots with clean boot shafts. His hair was held up with a copper hairpin, which gleamed with a warm luster. He had a smile on his face, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes relaxed with his smile.

The seven elders stood behind him, lined up in a row, all dressed in their most presentable clothes. Some were fat, some were thin, some were tall, some were short, some were all smiling, and some had serious expressions, but their eyes were all on Yan, some scrutinizing, some kind of friendly, and some a bit of examining.

Seeing Yan approach, Daiyue strode forward, stretched out his hands, and grabbed Yan's hands, saying, "Young Chief Yan! You've finally arrived! Please come in! Please come in! The banquet is all prepared, we've been waiting for you!"

Yan said, "Chief Daiyue, you're too kind. You're always so hospitable; we feel embarrassed."

Daiyue released his hand, patted his shoulder, and said, "What do you mean by 'sorry'? We, the Valley Tribe Fire Tribe could come! If it weren't for your Fire Tribe's help, we don't know what would have happened to our Valley Tribe last time!"

As he spoke, he turned to the side and gestured for the council chamber to enter. "Please! Please come in! Qingsui has already brought out all the dishes, we've been waiting for you!"

Yan nodded and led Jia Li, Shibang, and Yingmu into the council hall. Several wooden tables were pushed together to form a long table, covered with clean linen and filled with earthenware bowls and plates. A whole roasted lamb was placed in the center, its surface roasted to a golden brown and crispy, still sizzling with oil, its aroma filling the entire room and making one's mouth water. Beside it were roasted fish, stewed chicken, boiled beans, stir-fried wild vegetables, and hot soup, a feast that seemed to have brought out all the good things the entire Valley Tribe could offer.

Daiyue invited Yan to sit down next to the main seat, while he himself sat in the main seat. The seven elders sat down in turn, with Jia Li, Shibang, and Yingmu sitting in the lower seats. Each of them had a bowl, chopsticks, and a wine bowl set in front of them.

Daiyue called out towards the back of the council hall, "Qingsui! Bring out the last dish!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Qingsui walked out from behind the council hall. Today she was wearing a light purple linen dress with a few small white Little Flower embroidered on the hem. The stitches were fine and dense, as if she had been sewing it carefully for a long time. Her hair was tied into a loose bun and held in place with a copper hairpin. A few strands of hair fell beside her ears, and she had a faint smile on her face.

She carried a ceramic plate in her hand. She walked up to Yan, bent down slightly, and gently placed the plate in front of him. Her voice was as soft as a breeze across water. "Young Chief Yan, please enjoy your meal. This dish is something I tried making myself. I added the dried chili peppers that your Fire Tribe brought. It's less spicy than last time, so it should suit the local taste better."

Yan looked up and met her gaze. They stared at each other for a moment. Qingsui's eyelashes drooped slightly, and the smile on her face became shallower but also more genuine. Then she straightened up, turned around, and walked back to the back of the council hall.

Yan withdrew his gaze and saw Daiyue raising his wine bowl towards him.

"Come on, Young Chief Yan! Have a drink first! Welcome to the Fire Tribe's Valley Tribe!"

Yan also picked up his wine bowl, clinked it against Daiyue's, and the two of them downed their drinks in one gulp. After setting down their bowls, Daiyue poured himself another, picked it up, and his smile deepened, "The second bowl! A toast to the friendship between our Valley Tribe and the Fire Tribe!"

Everyone raised their wine bowls and responded in unison. After two bowls of wine, the atmosphere became lively. People started talking and laughing loudly, toasting each other, and passing food to one another. Yan also ate with gusto, his mouth full of oil. While drinking the soup in his bowl, he chatted with the Second Elder Hefeng, about the Valley Tribe's harvest forecast for the year. Hefeng started talking about the new fields that had been cultivated this year, and it was as if he had started talking non-stop.

After everyone had finished eating, Daiyue put down his chopsticks and said to Yan, "Young Chief Yan, I heard that you brought more large ships this time. There are thirty ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, one hundred and twenty ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, and two hundred ships each with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, 10,000 jin, and 5,000 jin?"

Yan put down his soup bowl, sat up straight, and nodded, saying, "Yes, this time we brought most of the tribe's ships, leaving only a few in reserve at the main outposts. The chief's idea is that this year's grain quota is heavy, so we should load as much as possible. Less trips will save a lot of time and manpower. This time we plan to transport 16 million catties of grain back, and the rest can be transported in one more trip."

Daiyue nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, having more boats to transport grain is more convenient. One trip is equivalent to several trips, saving time and effort. I didn't expect your Fire Tribe's water strength to be so powerful. Even the Tiger Tribe's water strength isn't much stronger than yours."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, then his tone became more sincere. "With such a powerful ally as your Fire Tribe, our Valley Tribe feels more at ease. We used to be always on edge, not knowing when the Tiger Tribe would make their move. Now, with you backing us up, even if the Tiger Tribe does come, we're not as panicked as before."

He picked up the bowl of water, took a sip, put it down, and continued, "Don't worry about the grain. The grains piled up in the warehouse are all from the last year or so. They're plump, thoroughly dried, and won't get moldy or infested with insects. Tomorrow I'll have Quyong help you load the grain. The sooner you get the grain back, the less debt we have to pay you, and the clearer our books will be."

Yan nodded in thanks and said, "Then Daiyue, Chief Daiyue. We've done grain loading many times before. With Chief Quyong's help in coordinating, it should go very smoothly."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "By the way, Chief Daiyue, has there been any activity in the north lately? Any noteworthy new developments from the Tiger Tribe, the Bear Tribe, or the Wolf Tribe?"

Upon hearing this, Daiyue frowned slightly and said, "Our Valley Tribe's spies in the north have sent word that the Tiger Tribe hasn't made any major moves yet. Their three major internal factions are still locked in a tug-of-war: Hu Bashan, Tongding, and Hu Zheng are mutually restraining each other. None of them can fully mobilize the Tiger Tribe's forces, so they can't spare any time to deal with us. However, there's something that's been bothering me lately—the leaders of the Bear Tribe and the Wolf Tribe haven't shown up in their territories for quite some time."

He became more cautious as he said this, "According to the men I sent out, Xiong Lie and Xueya have likely gone to the Tiger Tribe and are plotting something there. The Tiger Tribe's Great Elder, Tongding, has been trying to extend his reach to our side. The Bear Tribe and the Wolf Tribe are probably scouting for him. I have sent people to Dali investigations, and more detailed information should be coming back soon."

Yan said, "Both the Wolf Tribe and the Bear Tribe are restless. Since they went to the Tiger Tribe, they must have negotiated some terms with them. The Tiger Tribe wants to integrate the downstream forces, and they probably won't let go of your Valley Tribe, this piece of fat meat. You still need to be more vigilant, especially the Little Valley Camp Outpost, which is too close to the Bear Tribe."

Daiyue nodded, his expression serious, and said, "You're right. Our Valley Tribe will increase our defenses. The walls and watchtowers at the Little Valley Camp have been reinforced, the patrol teams have been increased, and we've also transferred a group of archers from headquarters. If the Wolf Tribe or the Bear Tribe makes any unusual moves, we should be able to handle it."

Yan nodded and continued, "Furthermore, our Fire Tribe plans to convert our temporary outpost at the Big Horse River Mouth into a formal one. The chief has already decided on this, and we plan to settle about 10,000 people by the end of the year. We will also equip it with a ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. If your Valley Tribe needs any assistance, you can send a message to us through the beacon towers. The beacon towers have already been built, and there are them at regular intervals from the Big Horse River Mouth to your Little Valley Camp."

He paused, then softened his tone. "Recently, our Fire Tribe has absorbed a lot of manpower, and our population has exceeded 200,000. The Horse Tribe also has the idea of joining our Fire Tribe, and we have already sent people to talk to them. As long as they agree to join, our Fire Tribe's territory will be connected all the way to our Big Horse River Mouth Outpost, and then we will be officially bordering your Valley Tribe."

Upon hearing this, Daiyue paused mid-air, his hand holding the bowl of water still. He put the bowl down, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a few breaths, as if processing the information. Then, when he spoke, his voice carried an undisguised surprise and relief. "The Fire Tribe has absorbed quite a few more people? The population has already exceeded two hundred thousand? The Horse Tribe is also considering joining?"

He stroked his chin and said, "This is faster than I expected. If your Fire Tribe can reach an agreement with the Horse Tribe and their territories are connected, our Valley Tribe will receive reinforcements much faster in the future. Then we will be more confident in dealing with the Tiger Tribe."

He picked up his wine bowl and offered another to Yan, saying, "Congratulations to your Fire Tribe! The stronger you become, the more our Valley Tribe benefits, and that makes me feel at ease."

Yan picked up his bowl, clinked it against his, and drank it all in one gulp. "Daiyue, Chief Daiyue. Our Fire Tribe's development to this point is inseparable from the cooperation and trust of the Valley Tribe. Only through mutual support can we go further."

The two chatted for a while longer, discussing the details of next year's grain trade and the plans for the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost. Daiyue talked about the Valley Tribe's expansion plans for this year, and Yan also discussed the Fire Tribe's upcoming shipbuilding and land reclamation arrangements.

The night grew deeper, the oil in the lamp was almost gone, and the flame grew smaller and smaller, flickering as if it were dozing off. The voices in the council chamber gradually subsided.

Yan stood up, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to Daiyue, and said, "Chief Daiyue, it's getting late, I must take my leave now. We'll start loading the grain first thing tomorrow morning and try to finish as soon as possible so as not to delay your busy farming season."

Daiyue also stood up, clasped his hands in return, and said, "Alright. Young Master Yan, please go back and rest early. Don't worry about loading the grain; I've already spoken to Quyong, and he will fully cooperate with you."

He turned to look towards the door, raising his voice slightly. "Qingsui, see Young Master Yan out."

Qingsui emerged from a small door at the back of the council chamber, her steps light and her skirt swaying gently. She walked to Yan's side, smiled slightly, and said softly, "Young Master Yan, please."

The two walked out of the council chamber one after the other.

A cool, refreshing night breeze blew in, carrying the dampness of the river and the scent of grass from the distant fields. The moon was high in the sky, round and large. The two walked side by side along the path, their pace neither hurried nor slow. Qingsui walked on the side closest to the river, while Yan walked on the side closest to the fields, about an arm's length apart. The soil on the path shimmered with a pale silver-white light under the moonlight, and dewdrops clung to the blades of Caoye on either side, sparkling in the moonlight.

Qingsui spoke first, her voice very soft, as if afraid of breaking the silence of the night. "Yan, after your Fire Tribe finishes transporting grain this time, when will you come again?"

Yan turned his head to look at her, the moonlight falling on her profile and outlining a soft contour. "We should come again. Of the 40 million catties of grain ordered this year, 16 million catties were transported back this time, leaving 11 million catties. After loading this batch, we can go back and rest for a while, and then come back again to transport it all."

Qingsui nodded, as if she had taken her words to heart. She was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, can your official base at the Big Horse River Mouth really accommodate 10,000 people by the end of the year?"

"It should be possible," Yan said. "The Feiyu are already making preparations; houses are being built, fields are being developed, and the docks are being expanded. Reaching 10,000 people by the end of the year shouldn't be a problem. Then our Fire Tribe's territory will be able to extend all the way to your Little Valley Camp."