Returning to Report

When Yan returned to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, the sky was already setting in the west. The autumn sun slanted across the surface of the Fish River, the ripples shattering and then piecing the sunlight back together. From a distance, the entire Fish River appeared to be coated with a flowing amber hue. Most of the sails had been lowered, except for the sail on the mainmast, which was still half-raised, billowing slightly in the cool evening breeze, as if the boat itself were slowly exhaling. Someone on the dock saw the boat and waved from afar. Yan, standing at the Chuantou, raised his hand in response. Then, the boat gently brushed against the wooden posts by the dock and came to a stop.

He jumped off the boat, his boots landing with a thud on the wooden planks of the dock. The planks, which had been baking in the sun all afternoon, still carried a slight warmth under his feet, which he could feel even through the soles of his boots. He didn't linger on the dock, striding towards the council chamber. His pace was quicker than usual, the soles of his boots making different sounds as they hit the planks and the dirt road.

The guards at the entrance of the council chamber saw him but did not stop him. One of the younger guards stepped aside and opened the door for him. The door hinges made a slight scraping sound as they turned, like a brief reminder that someone had arrived. The guard nodded slightly to Yan, who nodded back, and then stepped over the threshold and went inside.

Jianshi sat in the main seat, several wooden tablets spread out on the wooden table in front of him. One of them had recently been engraved with several lines of marks, the edges of which were still light-colored, indicating that it had only been carved recently. He held a bone needle in his right hand, the tip of which was pressed against the wooden surface, as if he was about to add another stroke after a certain number. Hearing the door open, he looked up, the bone needle in his hand stopped, and then he put it down on the table, the tip of which gleamed slightly in the light. For a moment, his expression seemed to be stretched open by something; the lines that had been tense due to his focus softened, and the corners of his mouth moved slightly. When he looked up, his eyes held a sense of relief at seeing someone return safely.

His voice carried a sense of relief as he spoke, "Yan'er, you're back so soon? I thought you'd have to wait two days. Did picking them up go smoothly? Come and sit down."

He put down the bone needles, gently patted the table with his palm to indicate where Yan should sit, then leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze fixed on Yan, waiting for him to speak.

Yan sat down opposite him, the wooden chair making a slight creak as he sat down. He didn't speak immediately, but first reached for the ceramic pot on the corner of the table, poured himself a bowl of water. The water was cold, and the pot itself felt cool to the touch, as if it had been sitting out for most of the day. He picked up the bowl, lowered his head, and took two sips. The water slid down his throat, relieving the dryness caused by talking for so long. When he put the bowl down, the bottom of it tapped softly on the table. Then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looked up at his father, and said, "This time when we went to pick up..." Everything went smoothly. Uncle Dazhuang and Chief Junfeng of the Horse Tribe had already arranged the migration. The division of labor was clear, and the two sides cooperated well. The able-bodied men drove the livestock overland, while the elderly, women, and children waited on the riverbank. When we arrived, they were arranged to pick us up directly onto the boats. Chief Junfeng had counted everyone, checking with me on the riverbank. There were no problems on the way; no one fell behind, no one got sick, and even the weather was good—no strong winds or rain. The fleet traveled smoothly.

Jianshi listened, his gaze fixed on Yan's face, nodding occasionally. He didn't interrupt, as if waiting for Yan to finish explaining everything.

Yan continued, "After arriving at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost, Jianya had already prepared a long line of small boats for the new tribesmen, ready to depart at any time. As soon as they arrived, they were transferred to the small boats and transported into the main valley. There was no time to wait on the shore; they could move in immediately without any further waiting. Bailin has already led the large fleet back along the original route to pick up the able-bodied men who were herding livestock. Once they arrive, all the new tribesmen in the Horse Tribe's territory will be settled, and no one will be left behind to wait for the next trip. The entire migration will then be complete."

After he finished speaking, he picked up the water bowl again, took another sip, as if he wanted to finish saying everything he had said along the way before giving himself a moment to pause.

After listening, Jianshi didn't rush to reply. He remained silent for a moment, his right hand resting on the table, his fingertips slowly tracing the edge of the wooden tablet, as if he were contemplating and confirming something. Then he spoke, his voice lower than before, but his tone resolute. "After the Horse Tribe joined our Fire Tribe, our Fire Tribe's strength has increased considerably. Coupled with the natural population growth of our Fire Tribe in recent years, the total population of the Fire Tribe has now reached over 260,000. A few years ago, we wouldn't have dared to even dream of such a number."

He paused, as if letting the number linger in the air for a moment, before continuing, "The Horse Tribe brought a considerable number of livestock, which will greatly improve efficiency in both land reclamation and supply transportation. One trip will be equivalent to several trips, and land transport will be much easier."

Yan nodded and continued, "Yes, and many of these new tribespeople are quite skilled horsemen. We can select some of them to form the cavalry, so we won't have to teach them how to mount horses from scratch. This will greatly improve the mobility of the Fire Tribe's northern stronghold on land."

Jianshi's lips twitched slightly, as if he had anticipated this arrangement. "You handle the selection of personnel."

He thought for a moment, tapped his finger on the edge of the table, and changed the subject, saying, "Now that the Horse Tribe has joined, our Fire Tribe's territory is smoothly connected to the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost, with no gaps in between. Our territory is also completely adjacent to the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost. If we increase our investment in the northern stronghold, we will be able to provide timely support to the Valley Tribe should anything happen to them."

Yan continued, "When I went to Uncle Dazhuang's place this time, he mentioned this matter to me as well. He said that the strongholds in the north are expanding, and many more wooden houses have been added to the strongholds near the mouth of the Green Leaf River Mouth. He patted his chest and told me that resettling about 70,000 people next year would definitely not be a problem."

He paused, as if recalling the situation at another base in his mind, and continued, "Feiyu has also been expanding at the Big Horse River Mouth. If everything goes smoothly, the Big Horse River Mouth can accommodate 20,000 to 30,000 people next year, no less than that number."

After listening, Jianshi's gaze lingered on the table for a moment, as if he were moving several sets of numbers from different places to the same grid, silently adding them up in his mind. He then said, "If everything goes smoothly by the end of next year, the Fire Tribe can accommodate around 100,000 people in its several outposts in the north. Even at the beginning of the year, we can maintain a scale of around 70,000 people. That way, even if something unexpected happens in the north, our outposts won't be short of manpower."

He settled the numbers in his mind, then changed the subject and asked, "What did he say when you went to Jianya's place? Did he have any instructions for you regarding shipbuilding?"

Upon hearing this question, Yan sat up straighter, lifting his back from the chair back and placing his hands on the table. His voice became more serious as he spoke, "Uncle Jianya is very supportive of your plan to continue building large ships next year. He said he would definitely give his full support and there wouldn't be any problems. He said this very decisively, without hesitation, and without saying anything like 'we might have to see how things go.'"

Upon hearing this, Jianshi's fingers, which had been resting on the armrest, tightened slightly before relaxing. He nodded and said, "Jianya never makes empty promises. If he says it's no problem, then it's no problem. Remember this: if he needs materials or any other assistance, do your best to provide it."

Yan replied, "I've got it."

Jianshi thought for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, as if to bring up another matter. "There's one more thing. Take some time to go and check on the Clothing Tribe recently."

Yan's gaze shifted slightly. "The Clothing Tribe? Aren't they a semi-subordinate tribe of the Valley Tribe?"

Jianshi nodded, picked up the water bowl, took a sip, and then looked at Yan, saying, "The Clothing Tribe is indeed a semi-subordinate tribe, but they are very independent. For many years, they have maintained a somewhat distant relationship with the Valley Tribe. The Valley Tribe needs their cloth and dyes, and they need the Valley Tribe's grain and salt. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. In recent years, their trade with our Fire Tribe has increased. With more contact, they have naturally seen our strength and way of doing things."

As he said this, he crossed his hands on the table, palms flat, and began, "Dazhuang recently sent word that Zhixia, the leader of the Clothing Tribe, has sent people over several times to inquire about the situation in our Fire Tribe. She asked about our rules, resettlement methods, and manpower arrangements. She asked very detailed questions, not just casual inquiries. After talking with her people, Dazhuang felt that they seemed to genuinely want to join the Fire Tribe, not just making empty promises or testing the waters."

Yan listened, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "So they want me to go over there?"

Jianshi nodded and said, "Dazhuang means that Zhixia isn't in a hurry for our people to give an immediate response, but she wants us to send a representative to talk to her in person. If she's willing to talk, then we can talk; if not, we shouldn't force her. I'm going to send you first to see what she means, and just get a general idea."

Yan thought for a moment, his gaze falling on the half-empty water bowl on the table. He gently circled his finger along the rim of the bowl, as if mentally reviewing the past few days. "Once I finish up what I'm doing, I'll take some time to go there. I've been to the Clothing Tribe a few times, so I know the way. I'll see how they react when I get there. If we can talk, we will; if not, we'll stabilize and expand trade first, without rushing anything."

Jianshi nodded, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment, as if to confirm if he had anything else to say, before softening his voice and saying, "Alright, take a rest these few days, no need to rush off again."

Yan stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to his father, and then turned and walked out of the council hall.

Yan only stayed at the Fire Tribe's management center for three days before continuing his journey downstream along the Fish River with Jia Li and some boats. This time, Yan did not bring Yingmu or Shibang when he went to the Clothing Tribe. Next year, the Fire Tribe and the Tiger Tribe are very likely to face each other head-on. Yan instructed them to stay at the Fire Tribe's management center to train their warriors. Yan's trip to the Clothing Tribe was only to understand the Clothing Tribe's willingness to join the Fire Tribe and to consolidate and expand trade.

The Clothing Tribe was closer to Dazhuang's stronghold and he was more familiar with it, so Yan planned to invite Dazhuang to accompany him on his Clothing Tribe. Before setting off, Yan had sent someone by boat to inform Dazhuang. This was a major event for the stronghold, and Dazhuang readily agreed. When Yan led his fleet to the Green Leaf River Mouth dock, Dazhuang was already waiting. Seeing Yan dock the boat, Dazhuang boarded immediately and said to Yan, "Yan, I've already handed over the affairs of this stronghold. This time, I'll accompany you to the Clothing Tribe to the Clothing Tribe what their specific thoughts are."

Yan nodded and said, "Okay, let's talk as we walk."

Yan continued leading his fleet downstream along the Fish River until they reached the vicinity of the Clothing Tribe's dock. The Fire Tribe Clothing River South Bank now also established a stronghold on the Clothing River South Bank River Mouth Outpost, and its scale was continuously expanding. The Clothing Tribe's camp was on the north bank, so trade with the Fire Tribe was becoming increasingly frequent, and they were learning more and more about each other, thus their desire to join the Fire Tribe was growing stronger. When Yan arrived at the Clothing Tribe's dock, the Clothing Tribe Clothing Tribe's chief Zhixia, along with many other leaders, warmly welcomed them. Zhixia greeted them warmly, saying, "Young Chief Yan, Chief Dazhuang, Chief Jia Li, welcome to the Clothing Tribe! We received news of your arrival and have been preparing food. Please come with me to the council hall to have something to eat and rest." Yan and the others nodded in agreement.

After they were seated in the council hall, Yan had the gifts presented. Zhixia, seeing the more valuable and abundant gifts than before, praised the Fire Tribe's strength and generosity. Zhixia warmly invited Yan and the others to eat and drink. When they had eaten and drunk their fill, Yan and the leader of the Clothing Tribe had a deep conversation. It turned out that as the Clothing Tribe's exchanges and trade with the Fire Tribe increased, their understanding of the Fire Tribe became more and more thorough. Last year, the Fire Tribe had defeated the Tiger Tribe, which gave the Clothing Tribe a completely new understanding of the Fire Tribe's strength. The Clothing Tribe gradually learned from the Valley Tribe that the Tiger Tribe planned to come and cause trouble again next year, which strengthened their determination to break away from the Valley Tribe and join the Fire Tribe. Finally, the leader of the Clothing Tribe planned to break away from the semi-subordinate relationship with the Valley Tribe next year, become an independent tribe, and then join the Fire Tribe.

After learning the true intentions of the Clothing Tribe, Yan said that he would tell his father, Jianshi, the truth and accurate information when he returned. Further matters would be discussed after the Clothing Tribe officially broke away from the Valley Tribe's vassal relationship. In the meantime, the focus would be on expanding trade. The Clothing Tribe's leader Zhixia, nodded in agreement. After the two sides traded a batch of goods, Yan and Dazhuang returned with their fleet.