The Aftermath of the Fire Tribe's Evacuation
A few days after the Tiger Tribe finished discussing matters in the council hall, the Tiger Tribe hall was once again full of people.
The atmosphere was even more somber than a few days ago. Afternoon light streamed through the window, casting parallel bands of light across the table, but when those bands shone on people's faces, it was as if they were illuminating a layer of dusty wood, untouched and unseen. Several newly carved wooden tablets lay on the table, their engravings deeper than before, as if someone had used too much force, carving the characters deep into the wood. A few ceramic bowls sat on the corner of the table, the water inside now cold, its surface perfectly still. The air in the room, thicker than usual, was a mixture of wood, grease, and hay; inhaling it felt like a thin layer hanging in one's throat, impossible to swallow or exhale.
Hu Zheng sat in the main seat, his fingers resting on the table, not crossed, but flat, palms down. His gaze swept over the faces of everyone present, slower than before. His figure was still the same, in a white linen robe, his hair held back with a bone hairpin, but the tension in his eyes was tighter than before, and the lines at the corners of his mouth were flatter. He waited until the last leader who entered from the door sat down against the wall before speaking, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone in the council hall to hear. "Recount the latest news to everyone again, the news from the Great Luwei Tribe, one by one, clearly."
A leader sitting near the front stood up. He was not tall, wearing a dark gray linen robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist and straw sandals on his feet. In his hand, he held a wooden tablet with several lines of dense markings engraved on it. He spoke in a low voice, but each word was pronounced clearly. "A few days ago, news came from the Great Luwei Tribe that the Fire Tribe's fleet had gathered in large numbers at the Willow Vine Tribe's dock. They have a large number of ships, with more than two hundred giant ships alone capable of carrying 100,000 catties, as well as many smaller ones. The Great Luwei Tribe's ships are weak and dare not approach, only observing from a distance on the shore. The messenger who returned said that the Fire Tribe's fleet this time is extremely powerful; the water outside the dock is completely covered by the hulls of the ships, and they can't see the end of them. They've been counting them all day, but they still can't count how many there are."
He paused, turned the wooden tablet to the back, and continued reading, "A few days later, more news came in. The Fire Tribe had already transferred all the people of the Willow Vine Tribe —the elderly, women, and children were transported away by boat, while the able-bodied men led cattle and horses overland. The entire Willow Vine Tribe camp was empty. The Fire Tribe left only a portion of its ships at the Willow Vine Tribe's dock for guard and deterrence. The rest of the fleet had already taken people and supplies upstream. The Willow Vine Tribe camp now only had some old houses that couldn't be taken away and empty granaries; there were basically no valuable supplies left."
After he finished reading, he sat down and put the wooden tablet in his pocket. The council hall was quiet for a moment, then it was as if someone had lifted the lid of a pot of water that hadn't yet boiled, and low murmurs of discussion rose from all corners simultaneously. Some people leaned back in their chairs, turning their heads to whisper something to the people next to them, their voices muffled by the noise in the room; some traced lines on the table with their fingers, as if tracing the distance between the Willow Vine Tribe and the Tiger Tribe; some flipped the wooden tablet in front of them over and over again. Several young leaders sitting against the wall exchanged brief glances, but no one spoke first. An old leader sitting in the corner picked up the bowl of ice-cold water in his hand and put it down again, the bottom of the bowl tapping on the table with a soft sound. The sound wasn't loud in the noise, but several people nearby heard it. Someone glanced in his direction and then turned away.
Hu Zheng sat in the main seat, not in a hurry to speak. His gaze slowly moved across the faces of those who were discussing, from left to right and back again. The things that were rising in his mind were much more complicated than the noise in the council hall.
He recalled how he had gradually risen from a puppet position over the years. When Elder Tongding first helped him ascend to power, he was just a five-year-old child, knowing nothing and knowing nothing. The real power was in the hands of the Elder, and he was merely a figurehead sitting in the main seat. During meetings in the council hall, he sat there listening to Tongding and Hu Bashan argue, listening to the leaders express their opinions, while he could only nod, remain silent, and wait for them to finish arguing before pressing his fingerprint on the pre-determined wooden tablet. At that time, his fingerprint was just a formality; no one really cared that he agreed. Whether or not. As he grew older, he began to try to find a balance between Tongding and Hu Bashan, gradually building his own power between the two factions. He learned not to rush to express his opinion after Tongding spoke, to give a noncommittal nod after Hu Bashan slammed his fist on the table, and to steer the conversation in a direction acceptable to both sides after both sides had exhausted themselves arguing. He knew he didn't have many soldiers or much territory; the only thing he could rely on was the position itself—the position of leader of the Tiger Tribe, even if it was just a nominal one. When it came time to make the final decision, that title was his bargaining chip.
Later, Tongding subdued the Bear Tribe, conquered the Wolf Tribe, and then took over the Great Luwei Tribe. His power grew ever stronger, to the point that even Hu Bashan and his men had to defer to Tongding. Tongding had placed many of his men around him, ostensibly to assist him, but in reality, to monitor him. During that time, he couldn't even decide what to eat in his own room; the cook was sent by Tongding, the guards were arranged by Tongding, and even if he occasionally wanted to go for a walk, someone would follow him. He endured it; he knew he couldn't overthrow the regime then, so he could only endure. Until the last time Tongding's faction suffered a defeat in the Valley Tribe, the Bear Tribe was wiped out by the Fire Tribe, and the Wolf Tribe wasn't much better... Because Tongding disobeyed orders, Tongding strength was somewhat diminished. Meanwhile, Hu Bashan absorbed tens of thousands of people on the Long River, greatly increasing his power. He also gained some benefits from these people, acquiring several more capable leaders. Hu Bashan needed him, needing his title to suppress Tongding; he also needed Hu Bashan, needing Hu Bashan's troops to bolster his own position. Each getting what they wanted, they gradually came together. Now, the combined power of him and Hu Bashan has slowly surpassed Tongding's faction; otherwise, given Tongding's assertive nature, he wouldn't have compromised time and again in the council hall.
He knew perfectly well that the current debate between the Fire Tribe and the Willow Vine Tribe was ostensibly about how to deal with the Fire Tribe, but beneath it was a power struggle between the three factions. Tongding wanted to use the opportunity of sending troops to regroup, while Hu Bashan wanted to leave his troops in the north to continue absorbing people. He was caught in the middle, needing to make sure neither side felt neglected, while also ensuring that the little power he held wasn't swallowed up by either side. His gaze moved from Hu Bashan's face to Tongding's face, then away from Tongding's face, finally settling on the carvings on the wooden tablets on the table. He gently pressed his finger on the table, his fingertip tracing the wood grain, as if using that gesture to settle his chaotic thoughts on the table as well.
The noise in the council hall gradually subsided. Just as Hu Zheng was about to speak, the Grand Elder of the Tongding could no longer hold back. He stood up from his chair, which creaked behind him. He wore a dark blue linen robe with dark stitching on the collar and cuffs. His hair was neatly combed, but the lines around his eyes were deeper than usual, as if he hadn't slept well for the past few days. His lips were taut, and his jawline was straighter than usual. He stood there, first glancing at Hu Zheng, then scanning the room, before speaking in a loud voice, "Gentlemen, the Fire Tribe is now operating with so many ships downstream of the Fish River, and they've taken all the people from the Willow Vine Tribe. If we don't take action to intimidate them, what will the other smaller tribes affiliated with our Tiger Tribe think of us? Even our own tribe members will think we're afraid of the Fire Tribe. I suggest we gather a large force of troops and ships to intimidate them. If we let the Fire Tribe continue, they'll completely plunder the Willow Vine Tribe Fire Tribe, and we'll get nothing!"
His voice echoed in the council chamber, silencing those who were whispering. All eyes turned to him; some put down their bowls, others turned away. After speaking, Tongding did not sit down. He stood there, his hands resting on the table, his fingers slightly spread, as if using that posture to delay any subsequent rebuttals.
Hu Bashan stood up from his chair. He wore a long black linen robe with the collar open, a wide leather belt around his waist from which hung a long sword. He was a head taller than Tongding, and his chin was slightly raised as he stood there, his gaze fixed on Tongding's face, as if he were scrutinizing someone he had already seen through. When he spoke, his voice was not loud, but it carried a decisiveness that had been suppressed for a long time and finally found an outlet. "The Fire Tribe's swift action in taking the people away from the Willow Vine Tribe was clearly premeditated and prepared. Otherwise, they couldn't have acted so quickly, and the fleet couldn't have arrived so completely. Didn't you send people over there to supervise? How come there's been no news at all? This shows that you haven't done your job properly!"
Upon hearing this, Tongding's expression shifted dramatically, as if he'd been jolted by something. His lips tightened, and his fingers slammed on the table, his knuckles turning slightly white. He shouted, "It's all because you disagreed with my annexation of the Willow Vine Tribe! Otherwise, how could the Fire Tribe have taken all the Willow Vine Tribe's people? You've recently sent all of the Tiger Tribe's mobile forces to the Long River to absorb people. How can our small force possibly deter the Willow Vine Tribe? We haven't received any news from them for a long time now; it's highly likely they've been wiped out by the Willow Vine Tribe! If we had a large number of people monitoring the area around the Willow Vine Tribe, we could take measures to prevent losses should the Willow Vine Tribe make any moves!"
Hu Bashan didn't back down. He tapped his finger on the table, the knuckles making a loud thud on the wooden board, and shouted, "Sending most of the Tiger Tribe's mobile forces to the Long River to absorb people was everyone's decision. You didn't supervise it well, that's your problem. Now that the Fire Tribe has already taken the people away, sending troops there won't be of much use, and we might even be ambushed. The Fire Tribe can't take the Willow Vine Tribe's land with them, but we can take over after they withdraw. It's not like we're without any gains. As long as we absorb a large number of people on the Long River, are we worried about not having enough land to cultivate? We'll send a few people to watch over the Willow Vine Tribe's fields, and after spring, we can just turn them over and plant. The land won't grow legs and run away."
As he finished speaking, Hu Zhenshan leaned back in his chair and nodded slightly. Hu Dingshan also nodded, his gaze shifting back and forth between Hu Bashan and the Tongding. One of the leaders sitting against the wall whispered something in response. The voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for those nearby to hear. Tong Dachui sat next to the Tongding. His fingers clenched and unclenched on the table. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't speak.
Hu Zheng sat in the main seat, watching the two argue more and more fiercely. The noise in the council hall grew increasingly chaotic. Someone echoed Hu Bashan's words after he finished speaking, someone shook their head and pushed the wooden tablet in front of them aside, and someone leaned back in their chair, gazing at the ceiling. Hu Zheng tapped his fingers lightly on the table, then tapped it again, and then he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone in the council hall to hear clearly, like someone ringing a bell in a noisy room, gathering all the scattered sounds together. "Alright, it's no longer important for us to discuss who is right and who is wrong. What we need to discuss now is how to minimize the losses and maximize the gains for our Tiger Tribe."
He paused, his gaze shifting from Hu Bashan's face to Tongding 'Tongding, then back to the wooden tablets being turned over and over on the table. He said, "Hu Bashan is right. The people of the Willow Vine Tribe have all been taken away by the Fire Tribe. It's too late for us to send a large number of troops to chase after them, and we might even be ambushed. Although the Willow Vine Tribe has left, their territory is closer to our Tiger Tribe's, and the Fire Tribe can't possibly occupy it. Their people are gone, but the land is still there. We can send people to cultivate it. However, to prevent the Fire Tribe from having any other intentions, we still need to continue sending fleets to monitor and observe them."
He raised his head, looked at the people present, and steadied his voice. "Right now, we don't have much population left to develop south of the Fish River. After the people of the Willow Vine Tribe were taken away, the remaining small tribes nearby have either submitted to us or run away. From now on, we should focus our population absorption efforts on the Long River. There are more people and tribes there. As long as we do it discreetly and don't attract the attention of those large tribes, we can gradually replenish our manpower. What do you all think?"
Hu Bashan nodded, placing his palm flat on the table. Hu Dingshan nodded in agreement, his gaze lingering on Hu Zheng's face for a moment. Hu Zhenshan leaned back in his chair, not speaking, but also nodding in agreement. The First Elder, Tongding, stood still, his lips still pursed, his fingers clenching and unclenching on the table. He didn't speak again, but slowly sat down. His chair made a short thud as he sat down. Tong Dachui sat beside him, glanced at his father, and without replying, simply put away the wooden tablet in front of him.
The atmosphere in the council hall gradually relaxed. Someone leaned back in their chair, picked up a bowl of now-cold water, took a sip, their Adam's apple bobbing as the water went down their throat, then put the bowl down. Someone else turned their head and whispered something to the person next to them, their voice even softer than before. Several leaders sitting against the wall also began to move around. Hu Zheng looked at everyone present and reiterated the upcoming arrangements: the method of taking over the Willow Vine Tribe's fields, the adjustment of the population absorption route on the Long River, and the rotation cycle of the monitoring fleet. He spoke in great detail, assigning specific personnel and timelines to each step. After he finished speaking, people in the council hall began to stand up one after another and leave.