Winter Discussions

After Yan led his fleet away from the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost, they sailed downstream along the Fish River. This section of the river was wider than upstream, and the boats carved parallel Shuihen into the water, which gathered at the stern into a continuous, churning wave, gradually spreading into fine ripples, only to be dispersed again by the oars behind. The trees on both banks had completely shed their leaves, leaving only bare branches that drew fine lines in the afternoon sky, as if someone had repeatedly drawn layers on a gray-blue background with a fine brush, the direction of each branch clearly discernible. The wind was cooler than in the previous days, and when it blew on the face, one could feel the crispness and dryness unique to the approach of winter. It tugged at the hem of clothing with a tightening force, as if reminding people that winter was on its way, but had not yet reached its doorstep.

Three days later, in the afternoon, the fleet finally returned to the Fire Tribe's Little Fish River Mouth Outpost outpost. The afternoon sun shone from the west, casting long shadows of the sails of the ships docking on the wooden planks and the water, the shadows swaying gently with the ripples. A few people were already standing on the dock. Some were tidying the mooring ropes, their fingers looping the ropes around the wooden stakes, tying a knot, and pulling to make sure they wouldn't come loose. Others were squatting on the edge of the dock, inspecting the waterline of the boats, running their palms along the deck for a distance, as if checking for any damage during the voyage. As the boats docked, someone looked up in the direction of the fleet, recognized the person standing at the Chuantou, and shouted something towards the camp. The sound was carried away by the wind, like a loose thread falling towards the camp.

Yan stepped off the boat, his collar still stained with fine dust blown by the river breeze, appearing a pale grayish-white in the afternoon sun, as if he had just come from a long journey and hadn't had time to change. After standing still, he didn't linger on the dock, heading straight towards the council hall. He walked faster than usual; the threshing grounds on both sides of the road were already empty, all the newly harvested grains had been stored in the granaries, leaving only a few scattered stalks at the edge of the threshing grounds, blown by the wind to the base of the wall and piled up in a heap.

The guard at the council chamber door saw him and stepped aside, pushing the door open with his hand. The hinges turned with a familiar low thud, a sound he heard every time he returned. Yan stepped over the threshold and went inside. The room was darker than outside, with afternoon sunlight streaming in through the windows, casting parallel bands of light on the floor. Jianshi was sitting in the main seat, holding a wooden tablet, the tip of a bone needle pressed against the surface, as if adding something. He kept his head down, his gaze moving across the tablet, his fingers occasionally pausing, as if checking the accuracy of a number. Hearing the door open, he looked up, saw Yan, and paused, then placed the bone needle on the table, the tip leaving a faint dot on the wood. His gaze lingered on Yan's face, his voice softening with a gentleness usually reserved for someone returning. "Yan'er, you must be tired from your journey. Come and sit down. Tell me about your trip. Was it windy? I see you still have dust on your collar."

Yan sat down opposite him, the back of the chair making a slight scraping sound as he sat down. He didn't speak immediately, but first reached for the ceramic pot on the corner of the table and poured himself a bowl of water. The pot was still slightly warm to the touch, as if someone had prepared it beforehand. The water rippled slightly as he poured, a few drops splashing onto the table, but he didn't wipe them away. He lowered his head and took two sips; the water was warm, with a light, sweet aftertaste. Then he put down the bowl, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, and spoke, his voice steady after days of sailing. "This trip went very smoothly." All ten thousand tribesmen have been settled in the Valley Tribe. Houses and food are in place, so they can settle in immediately upon arrival without any chaos. Chief Daiyue's arrangements are excellent; even which area and which households were assigned in advance has been planned, ensuring no one is lost upon arrival. A thousand elite warriors have also been settled in the Greater Qing Tribe. The bronze weapons and leather armor have been handed over, and Chief Qingya is very satisfied. He immediately ordered the weapons distributed to each team. He took one out to examine the blade and had several pieces of leather armor tried on, only moving them into the warehouse after confirming a proper fit.

He paused, as if searching for a more solid footing for his next sentence. "The majority of the Bean Tribe members have been brought over and settled in the Valley Tribe. Chief Shunian and the remaining people are staying where they are. He said there's no need to send more people; the current defenses are sufficient. I've already notified the northern outposts to strengthen communication and coordination and not to let their guard down. I've already spoken with Feiyu Yu at the Big Horse River Mouth, Dazhuang Zhuang at the mouth of the Green Leaf River Mouth, Yingmu of the Bear Tribe, and Shibang of the Bean Tribe. They should maintain a consistent communication frequency and report any unusual activity immediately. Feiyu said he's already arranged with the Greater Qing Tribe to exchange information periodically, ensuring there are no gaps in communication."

He picked up the water bowl, took another sip to moisten his throat, and continued, "The 20,000 tribesmen who came from the Valley Tribe have all been settled in the Fire Tribe's main valley."

He placed the bowl back on the table, his finger lingering on the rim as if using that touch to find a foothold for what he was about to say, "Furthermore, I've received news that the Tiger Tribe has temporarily reached a consensus and is rapidly converting the tribe's resources into military force. Some are building ships, some are smelting copper, and some are training soldiers. The Wolf Tribe is also expanding its army; Xueya has already increased its warriors to around eight thousand and has even sent ships to patrol near the Greater Qing Tribe's dock, as if testing something. I've instructed Feiyu and Yingmu to keep a close eye on the movements to the north."

After listening, Jianshi didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the edges of the wooden tablets on the table, as if he were mentally reviewing the information again. His fingers slowly traced the bone needle, then stopped. He spoke, his voice low but steady with a sense of confirmation. "It's good that everything is going smoothly for us. The Tiger Tribe is definitely unwilling to relinquish their position as the overlord of the Fish River and wants to compete with us again. They've suffered two defeats and have already exhausted their resources. This time, they won't hold back. When people are pushed to that point, they'll bring out everything they were reluctant to give up before. We also need to be wary of the Wolf Tribe. After all, they're adjacent to the Bear Tribe. Although the Bear Tribe's territory is currently in our hands, the Wolf Tribe has been keeping an eye on that area and won't easily let go. Xueya isn't reckless, but if he sees an opportunity, he won't wait long. We should still be careful."

Yan nodded and said, "Yes, when I came back from Uncle Jianya's place this time, he said that their resettlement capacity has greatly increased. They can now resettle 40,000 new tribesmen at a time. The Fire Tribe's main valley, the Fire Creek River Middle Outpost, and the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost have all cleared enough space. The houses have also been repaired in advance. He had people check all the empty houses, and the plan for the cargo ships allocated to them this year has been completed without missing a single one."

Upon hearing this, Jianshi Shi's expression visibly relaxed. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, a small but palpable smile that only comes with confirmation, "That's good. Now that their resettlement capacity has greatly increased, we can speed up the resettlement of new tribesmen next year. By next spring, we can gradually resettle the people from the Valley Tribe, Bean Tribe, and Greater Qing Tribe. Although these tribes have all agreed to join, they're still not entirely at ease until the people are truly in our hands."

He paused, then drew a line on the table with his finger, as if sketching a route for himself. "Our Fire Tribe's main strongholds should be concentrated at the mouths of the various tributaries of the Fish River. These locations allow us to control the waterways and connect to the inland areas, providing both offensive and defensive capabilities. The shipbuilding program cannot be halted. Next year, we need to maintain around two hundred mobile ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin and 50,000 jin. Each river mouth stronghold should maintain around five 100,000-jin ships and ten 50,000-jin ships. We can't wait until war breaks out to find we don't have enough ships."

His fingers paused on the table for a moment before he said, "If we have the opportunity, we also want to develop a ship with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin. Although we are not yet confident that we can build it, we can try it first. We can build a small one to test the waters. We are not in a hurry to succeed on the first try. If the Tiger Tribe really comes with all its might, our advantage on the water will be able to suppress them."

He tapped the table lightly with a different finger. "Besides these, we need to continue migrating our people to the Valley Tribe. Next year, we aim to maintain the population at around 50,000, reaching the size of the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. Various production workshops will also be relocated there gradually—pottery kilns, salt fields, bronze workshops, textile workshops—anything that can be moved should be moved. The Valley Tribe's location is good; it's situated in the northern part of the middle section of the Fish River. To the north, we can keep an eye on the Tiger Tribe, and to the south, we can contact our rear."

He looked up at Yan, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment. "We need to continue contacting the Willow Vine Tribe to see if we can win them over to our Fire Tribe. The Greater Qing Tribe Willow Vine Tribe joins as well, our defense line will extend all the way to the Tiger Tribe's border, with no gaps in between. The section of road between the Greater Qing Tribe and the Willow Vine Tribe is currently empty. If the Willow Vine Tribe joins, that gap will be closed. Then, if the Tiger Tribe wants to launch a major southward offensive, they'll have to pass through the Willow Vine Tribe's territory first. Every step they take will be within our sight."

Yan listened intently, mentally confirming each part. His hands rested flat on his knees, his fingers occasionally clenching and unclenching in response to his father's words. When he spoke, his voice carried a certain certainty, as if it had all been arranged. "In this way, the strength of our Fire Tribe will greatly increase. If any news comes back from the Willow Vine Tribe, I will send someone to make contact immediately."

Jianshi nodded, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment, as if confirming whether he really needed to hear the next sentence. "If our Fire Tribe continues to develop like this for another two or three years, we can launch a counterattack against the Tiger Tribe. At that time, it won't be the Tiger Tribe coming after our Fire Tribe, but our Fire Tribe going after them. By then, the Tiger Tribe's resources will be almost exhausted, while our Fire Tribe's resources will only become more abundant."

He paused, his voice softening as if shifting from official business to something more personal. He lifted his gaze from the table and placed it on Yan's face, as if waiting for a natural transition. "I heard that Qingsui also Fire Tribe's main valley with you this time? Your wedding next year is a big event for our Fire Tribe. It must be beautiful and lively, so everyone knows that the Valley Tribe and the Fire Tribe are now one family. With the Valley Tribe's help, our development will be even faster. Your mother is already talking about it, saying she wants to prepare several new outfits in advance for next spring."

Yan sat opposite him, his palms, which had been resting flat on the table, clenched slightly upon hearing this, then relaxed. His gaze lowered for a moment, then he looked up. "Yes, Father, I will discuss the specific timing with Qingsui and the others after next spring."

Jianshi looked at him, as if to confirm that he had accepted the sentence, and then he spoke, his voice carrying the calm that only comes after things have been settled. "Now our Fire Tribe is basically free of major issues, and winter is approaching. You can make your own arrangements in the tribe during this time, take a good rest. You've hardly stopped this year, always on the boat and on the road. Next year will be busy, and you won't be able to rest even if you want to. Take advantage of this time to catch up on the sleep you need, eat the food you need, and get your body in good shape."

Yan nodded and chatted with his father for a few more minutes about winter supplies and preliminary plans for next spring. He asked if the grain in the granary was enough, and whether winter clothing and firewood had been distributed to the various outposts. Jianshi said that Dabang had already counted them, and each outpost had enough for everyone, with no shortages. Then he stood up, the chair making a short scraping sound on the ground. He clasped his hands in farewell to his father and said, "Father, I'll go back to rest now."

Jianshi also raised his hand towards him and said, "Go ahead, you don't need to rush anywhere these next few days, just take a good rest."

Yan turned and walked out of the council hall. The door closed behind him with a low thud. He stood on the steps outside the door, took a deep breath, and felt the early winter air blowing from the river. It was dry and crisp, and when it blew on his face, it invigorated him and carried away the moisture and autumn chill along the way.