Discussion of the Northward Move
The noise in the Fire Tribe's Little Fish River Mouth Estuary camp gradually subsided. The excited discussions and hushed conversations receded like the tide, slowly returning to their respective positions. Someone put down their bowl, the bottom of which landed softly on the table; someone placed the wooden tablet they had been holding for a while back on the corner of the table. Jianshi sat in the main seat, looked at Yan, and then glanced at everyone present, saying, "While you've been fighting, picking up people, and chasing the enemy in the Valley Tribe, we at the management center haven't been idle either."
He stretched out his right hand, palm up, his knuckles thick and his fingertips bearing old marks from rope bindings, which gleamed pale white in the lamplight, as if he were laying out his achievements on a table. "Our Fire Tribe has recently built quite a few more boats, and they've all been successfully launched. Adding to that the Tiger Tribe boats you captured this time, our Fire Tribe's naval strength has increased significantly. There are many more boats docked at the pier now than when you set sail."
He paused, withdrew his hand, and tapped a finger on the table, the knuckle making a soft click on the wooden board. "We've accumulated quite a bit of pottery, fine salt, bronze, cloth, and other supplies recently. Even if all the tribes you mentioned joined our Fire Tribe Fire Tribe, we'd still have enough supplies, with a considerable surplus. Besides, judging from this year's weather, autumn should bring another bumper Fengshou. The crops are growing as well as they have in previous years, and there haven't been any major pest infestations. The fields by the river have also been irrigated, so our food reserves will be even greater. Although we didn't bring back any grain from the Valley Tribe this time, it's more than enough, with plenty to spare."
Upon hearing this, Yan's face broke into a smile, which slowly spread from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes, as if those few words had gradually broadened his expression. He leaned back in his chair, as if he could finally let out a long-held sigh of relief, even his shoulders slumped slightly. His hand, which had been resting flat on the table, tightened slightly upon hearing this, his knuckles clenching towards his palm for a moment before relaxing, as if trying to grasp the news. "That's wonderful. With so many supplies, our Fire Tribe will have even more confidence."
He sat up straighter, lifting his back from the chair, and his voice became more formal, as if he wanted to take advantage of everyone's presence to bring up something he'd been thinking about for days and see if it could be implemented. He raised his hand from the table, tracing an arc in the air, as if paving the way for what he was about to say, "Now, our Fire Tribe and the Tiger Tribe are completely hostile. In the future, in the Fish River Basin, it will either be our Fire Tribe that falls or the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe Fire Tribe will also see a significant increase in population and territory after this war. In the future, conflicts and frictions between our Fire Tribe and the Tiger Tribe will only increase and become more frequent. If our Fire Tribe's management center is still located at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, our Fire Tribe's response will definitely be slow. It will take about ten days just to transport troops from here to the Valley Tribe by water. By the time we reach the point of conflict there, the situation may have already changed."
He stretched out his finger and drew a line in one direction on the table, as if demonstrating a route. "Therefore, I suggest that we move our Fire Tribe's management center northward to the Valley Tribe's location, develop the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost and Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost as secondary management centers for the Fire Tribe, and develop the other river estuary outposts as key outposts. The Valley Tribe's location is closer to the north, so if there is any movement from the Tiger Tribe, our Fire Tribe can respond more promptly."
He paused, as if looking for a more solid foothold for what he was about to say. His hand hovered in mid-air before he lowered it again. "Of course, our Fire Tribe's goals are not limited to this. If we can defeat the Tiger Tribe in the future, we can move the Fire Tribe's administrative center further north to the mouth of the Fish River. That location will allow us to control the entire Fish River Fish River, and thus, its very lifeline."
After Yan finished speaking, the council hall fell silent for a moment. This silence was not like the previous one filled with shock; it was more like a silence of digestion and weighing. Some people looked down at the table, some glanced at the person next to them and then turned back, and some leaned back in their chairs with their hands crossed in front of their abdomens, their eyes fixed on the rim of the bowl in front of them. Then, like a Shitou thrown into calm water, all sorts of sounds surged up again.
One of the leaders, sitting near the door, spoke first. He leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees. "The management center is moving to the Valley Tribe? What will happen to the workshops here?" His tone carried a pragmatic uncertainty.
"This place is sufficient for the development of the deputy management center," the other person sitting opposite him added, his voice more steady than the first, as if he were finding a foothold for the question. "The docks and warehouses are already in place, they don't need to be abandoned, and the shipyard can continue to be used without affecting shipbuilding."
"The camp houses at the Valley Tribe's camp are enough; there's no need to build from scratch," someone added from the other end of the long table, gesturing with his hands as if measuring the size of the Valley Tribe's camp.
"Getting close to the Tiger Tribe also carries risks," someone lowered their voice, as if mentioning something that needed attention. "What if they suddenly head south? The Valley Tribe Management Center will be the first to be hit. If they concentrate their forces and attack the new management center, will we have time to evacuate?"
"Then we can also set up more forward outposts in the north to detect and respond in advance." Dabang's voice came from the other side. As he spoke, he looked at the person who had expressed concern, and pressed his palm on the table, as if to catch the weight of his words.
"Once the stronghold in the Bear Tribe is built, it will block the Tiger Tribe's southward advance," Wu Xiong continued, his voice slightly louder than Dabang's, carrying a certainty that he had already mentally calculated, "Preventing them from directly reaching the management center."
"As Little Fish River Mouth develops into a sub-center, the transshipment of grain and supplies will not be interrupted," someone added, their voice low but their tone steady.
A cacophony of voices filled the council chamber. Some leaned back in their chairs, listening and thinking, their fingers occasionally tapping lightly on the armrests; others turned their heads to whisper with their neighbors, their voices low as if afraid of interrupting the ongoing discussion; still others gestured directions on the map. After a while, the noise subsided, and most people seemed to agree with the plan. Jianshi's gaze swept across the chamber. Seeing that most people nodded in agreement, he noticed a few still deep in thought. He gently pressed his hand on the armrest and said, "Yan's idea is excellent. In future battles with the Tiger Tribe, it will no longer be appropriate to keep the management center at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. I also agree to relocate the management center to the Valley Tribe and establish forward outposts at the Bean Tribe camp and the Bear Tribe camp."
He tapped his finger twice on the table, the knuckles making a soft thud on the wooden board. "This will be very helpful for our development and will also improve the defense of our Fire Tribe. However, we can't rush the specific operations. We can send people to take over first, and gradually increase the manpower so that the people going to the Valley Tribe can adapt first, and also allow the resources and technology here to be transferred smoothly. We shouldn't rush to move everything in one day; we should do it in several trips, transporting the belongings in batches, and then moving the large items last."
He thought for a moment, then his gaze fell on Yan's face again. He withdrew his fingers from the table and placed them on his knees. "You don't need to wait until the autumn harvest to go to the Valley Tribe and the Bear Tribe to pick up people. Your Jianya Fang has already cleared out the main valley. We've also selected about 10,000 people who can migrate and gathered them at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. You can rest for two days and then take these 10,000 people and some supplies to settle them in the Bear Tribe and the Bean Tribe. Once you get there, bring their people over one by one and settle them down. The land in the Bear Tribe can't be left empty, and the fields in the Bean Tribe can't be left barren. Bring them over as soon as possible and settle them down as soon as possible."
Yan nodded, meeting his father's gaze. "Okay, I'll let the brothers take turns resting for two days. Two days should be enough. We can set off first thing on the third day."
Jianshi nodded in satisfaction, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment, as if he were taking a second look at him in that brief silence. He looked at his eldest son's increasingly mature physique, his shoulders broader than before, and his posture more stable. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Now that the Valley Tribe has agreed to join us, we're all one family. The Tiger Tribe and the other tribes have also been driven back. You can start thinking about your own affairs now. Daiyue's daughter, Qingsui, is a very nice girl. How did your talk with her go this time? Do you have any plans in mind?"
Yan Zheng picked up the bowl of water in front of him, ready to take a sip. Upon hearing this, his hand paused in mid-air, the rim of the bowl stopping at his lips, but he didn't drink. His fingers gripped the bowl, his knuckles tightening slightly, before he put the bowl down, the bottom hitting the table with a slightly louder sound than usual. His ears first burned, the heat slowly spreading upwards along the contours of his ears, then to his cheekbones and forehead. He said, "Father, I originally planned to bring this up with you privately after the meeting, but I didn't expect you to ask first. I'm very satisfied with Qingsui from the Valley Tribe, and I already had a plan in mind. I promised her when I returned this time, and I'll discuss this matter with you when I get back to the tribe."
Upon hearing this, Jianshi smiled and said, "Very good. Miss Qingsui is indeed quite good. Since you are satisfied, I will accompany you to the Valley Tribe in a couple of days. Once we get there, I will raise this matter with Chief Daiyue in person. This is a matter between two tribes and two families. It is more appropriate for me to speak with her than for you to do so yourself."
He paused, as if giving his words a natural pause, before continuing, "As for your achievements this time, we'll announce them all after we've finished these matters. For now, let's get the people and supplies settled, and then we'll deal with the rest one step at a time."
When Yan heard his father say he would go in person, his expression faltered slightly, as if those words had stirred a small ripple in his heart. Then, the blush that had just faded from his ears returned, but he didn't look away. Instead, he met his father's gaze, and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted as he said, "Then thank you, Father."
As soon as he finished speaking, the people sitting around him began to move. Dabang was the first to stand up and walk to Yan. When he stopped, his chair moved back a little. He reached out and patted Yan's shoulder, saying, "Congratulations. This should have been done a long time ago. With your father going in person, the Valley Tribe will feel more at ease. I'll have someone prepare several jars of good wine for you and your father to use when you get there. The Valley Tribe also has its own brewing methods, so you can taste the wines from both sides."
Wu Xiong also spoke up with a smile, his voice louder than usual, carrying a lively energy, as if to spread the joy to every corner of the council hall. "Yes, the Fire Tribe hasn't had such a joyous occasion in many years. This time, you not only led your people to achieve great merit, but you're also getting married. It's a double celebration! We should all have a drink to celebrate with then."
Canglan remained seated, not rising. He raised his bowl towards Yan, the rim pausing for a moment in the air, as if using that gesture to convey a congratulatory message yet to be uttered. His gaze lingered on Yan's face, a smile playing on his lips, a smile that was subtle yet genuine. Several young leaders gathered around. One asked with a laugh, "What does Qingsui look like?" His tone was teasing, but his eyes held a hint of curiosity. Another added, "I heard she's quite skilled at archery; she even led a defense of the walls when the Valley Tribe's camp was besieged," as if they already knew something about her. Yet another patted Yan on the back, saying, "Your trip to the Valley Tribe wasn't in vain."
Inside, some people were sitting, some were standing. The conversation, no longer converging into a formal tone, spread out in a warm, hushed murmur among their chairs and table corners. Some were still asking about the front lines, their tone revealing interest in the details of the battle; others had turned to the autumn harvest arrangements, their voices confirming the timing; still others were discussing how many people should remain at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost after the management center's relocation, their fingers gesturing repeatedly on the table. They chatted for a while longer about the allocation of supplies, personnel rotations, and the fleet's scheduling. Dabang mentioned that the newly manufactured farm tools in the warehouse should be sent to the northern strongholds first, Canglan mentioned the need to send another batch of earthenware jars to store salt. Someone responded to each issue, and preliminary arrangements were made for each matter. Yan listened, occasionally nodding and occasionally adding a comment.