Returning to Little Fish River Mouth to Report

When Yan and Qingsui entered the council hall of the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost one after the other, Jianshi was sitting in the main seat, examining a wooden tablet. His fingers moved slowly along the engravings, his fingertips tracing the direction of each engraving, as if checking a line of numbers. An oil lamp was beside him, its flame slightly tilted and bounced back by the airflow created as he turned the tablet, casting flickering light on the edges of the scattered wooden tablets on the table. Hearing the door open, he looked up, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment, noticing that he looked thinner than when he left. His cheekbones were more defined than before. Moving his gaze to Qingsui's face, he noticed a faint bluish tinge under her eyes—the marks of sleeplessness on the ship these past few days. The curve of his lips slowly widened, the smile spreading from the lines around her eyes, extending to her cheekbones, and settling at the corners of her mouth. He placed the wooden tablet back on the table, pressing his palm against the edge before releasing it. His voice held a gentle warmth that only came after seeing someone return safely. "Yan'er, Qingsui, did your journey go smoothly? Did you encounter any trouble on the way? Come, sit down."

Yan sat down opposite him. The chair back made a slight creaking sound as he sat down, and he leaned back slightly upon touching the back, but quickly sat up straight again. Qingsui sat next to him, her hands folded on her knees, her fingers slightly curled. She didn't speak immediately, but listened quietly. Yan said, "Father, everything went very smoothly this time. All the people of the Greater Qing Tribe have been settled, and the more than 30,000 people of the Willow Vine Tribe have also been taken to the Greater Qing Tribe for resettlement. When our people arrived, the Willow Vine Tribe headquarters was already prepared. Three days later, after everyone had assembled, the elderly, the weak, and some necessary supplies would board the ship first, while the able-bodied men would escort the supplies by land with cattle and horses." Both sides set off simultaneously and encountered no unexpected events on the road, arriving at the Greater Qing Tribe on schedule. The Greater Qing Tribe had enough empty houses and food, and everyone was settled in. The elderly and weak were placed in the houses on the south side, while the able-bodied stayed in the barracks near the dock. He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, as if preparing a conclusion for his next words. "We also took the opportunity to strike the Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe, annihilating their navy. The Wolf Tribe lost about two thousand warriors this time and dared not spy on the Greater Qing Tribe again. Their Wolf Tribe are manned daily, but when they see our boats patrolling the river, they retreat, and you hardly see any of them all day long."

After listening, Jianshi nodded, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, the knuckles making a soft click. A slight smile played on his lips, but he quickly suppressed it, as if controlling himself not to show his satisfaction too obviously. His voice was slightly higher than before, carrying a sense of relief after being reassured. "It's good that you all went smoothly this time. With the more than 30,000 people from the Willow Vine Tribe joining our Fire Tribe Fire Tribe, our strength will increase considerably. More than 30,000 people, plus the livestock and supplies they brought, is a considerable asset. The Wolf Tribe is quite powerful over there; if we can take this opportunity to strike them, it will be very beneficial to the stability and development of our Greater Qing Tribe. The Greater Qing Tribe's location is too crucial. If the Wolf Tribe keeps causing trouble over there, the Greater Qing Tribe won't be able to develop peacefully, and our people won't be able to sleep soundly."

Yan nodded, straightening his collar, which had been slightly disheveled by the wind. He pressed his fingers along the edge of the collar and then released them. "Yes, the Wolf Tribe has been quite arrogant lately. It's time to put them down. After we drove them away, they ran to the territory of the Great Boulder Tribe and slowly recovered through coercion and plunder. If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll become even more rampant. I've already had Bailin take over the defense and management of the Bean Tribe from Shibang, and sent Shibang to the Greater Qing Tribe. Shi Shibang has already been assigned there. From the dock to the ferry, from the walls to the sentry posts, everything has been rearranged. Now Shibang is in the Greater Qing Tribe, Yingmu is in the Bear Tribe. I've instructed them to give them opportunities to compress the Wolf Tribe's development space and to harass them periodically, preventing them from developing in peace. The Wolf Tribe's sentries watch the river every day, and they'll get tired after a while. When they're tired, they'll become lax, and that's when we'll have an opportunity."

After listening, Jianshi nodded. His gaze lingered on Yan's face for a moment before he spoke, "You did well. I had the same idea. When the Wolf Tribe first arrived at the Great Boulder Tribe, they only had a little over a hundred warriors. Now they've grown to nearly ten thousand, their strength increasing almost a hundredfold. With their power expanding, they're willing to do anything. They rob this tribe today, raid that tribe tomorrow. If we don't put them in a good position, they'll become increasingly arrogant." He drew a line on the table with his finger, as if drawing a boundary for the enclosed territory. "Now, to the south of the Wolf Tribe is our Bear Tribe, and on the west bank of the Fish River is our..." The Greater Qing Tribe to the north and the Great Luwei Tribe to the north are now Tiger Tribe territory. To the east lies the primeval forest; they are surrounded on three sides by people, with an inescapable old forest on the other. The Wolf Tribe's method of raiding and coercing smaller tribes is no longer viable, and their previous plundered resources will gradually deplete. As long as we continue to attack and compress the Wolf Tribe's living space, Wolf Tribe strength will only weaken. Previously, our Fire Tribe's management center was too far away to effectively manage them, but now our Fire Tribe's sphere of influence borders the Wolf Tribe's. It's time we dealt with the Wolf Tribe's problems as well."

After listening, Yan nodded and said, "Yes, the Wolf Tribe's problems really need to be addressed. After our Fire Tribe's management center moves to the Valley Tribe, I will focus on dealing with the Wolf Tribe's issues. I've already had Shibang and Yingmu keep an eye on things there. They send people to patrol the riverbank and several ferry crossings every day to harass them and prevent the Wolf Tribe from having a chance to recover."

Jianshi nodded, placed his palm flat on the table, and said, "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. I believe you can handle it well."

Yan continued, "During our operations in the lower reaches of the Fish River, the Tiger Tribe didn't send a large force to interfere or cause trouble. We received information that the Tiger Tribe has been using all their stored resources to Dali develop their military, likely provoked by our Fire Tribe. They are now aggressively recruiting people on the Long River, having absorbed tens of thousands of people in the past few months. Taking advantage of the fact that those smaller tribes were unprepared, the Tiger Tribe sent people to abduct them one group after another. Some small tribes were taken away entirely, without even a chance to resist. Now the Tiger Tribe's population exceeds 200,000, and is approaching 300,000. The Western Shu Tribe and the Wuyue Tribe are also keeping the Tiger Tribe in check on their eastern and western fronts. They can't send a large number of troops to interfere with our migrating Willow Vine Tribe members; they can only send some ships to monitor and guard against our Fire Tribe from a distance."

After listening, Jianshi paused for a moment, then spoke, his voice carrying a sense of relief at being confirmed. "Luckily, we acted quickly, otherwise the Willow Vine Tribe would have been swallowed up by the Tiger Tribe. I didn't expect the Tiger Tribe to focus on expanding their strength and absorbing population on the Long River Long River. It seems there's quite a large population there. They've collected tens of thousands in just a few months. The tribe density there is much higher than here."

Yan took over, his voice lower than before, and said, "There are indeed more people on the Long River. When I was in the Willow Vine Tribe this time, Liutiao's spies also sent word that there are indeed large tribes there with over a million people. Those large tribes occupy the best land and are densely populated. Our Fire Tribe's development goal is to emulate the super-large tribes to the north. The Tiger Tribe is currently absorbing small tribes there. They don't dare to touch the sphere of influence of those large Tiger Tribe. Their people are spreading out along the Long River, looking for small tribes with a few hundred people. They sneak in at night, abduct the people, and take away their food and livestock as well. After our Fire Tribe moves its management center to the Valley Tribe, we can also look north and investigate the situation there."

After listening, Jianshi nodded, placing his palm flat on the table as if to draw a boundary for his statement. "Our Fire Tribe's population is about to reach 400,000. As long as we develop steadily, our population can reach over a million in the future. At that time, our Fire Tribe will also have the strength to protect itself."

Yan nodded, his voice carrying a certainty that had been anticipated. "That day won't be far off. Once we take over the Tiger Tribe, the entire Fish River will be under the Fire Tribe's control. If we focus on developing for a few more years, our Fire Tribe's population will soon reach a million. The Tiger Tribe doesn't even have 300,000 right now. We'll catch up with them much faster. They recruit people by coercion and robbery, while we recruit them by resettlement and attraction. The people they recruit are resentful and won't work hard; they'll run away sooner or later. The people we recruit have land to cultivate, food to eat, and houses to live in. Their hearts are settled. It's obvious who will be faster."

Jianshi nodded, tapping his finger lightly on the table. He turned the wooden tablet in front of him to the back, revealing newly carved shipbuilding records. The carvings were deeper than the front, as if someone had applied too much force. He spoke more steadily, "Recently, the Fire Tribe's shipbuilding has been progressing smoothly. By the end of the year, in addition to the essential ships for our outposts along the Fish River, we will have two hundred ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin each and two hundred ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin each, completely spare." He paused, tapping his finger on the tablet. "We are also researching ships with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin each. Recent progress is good, but they can't be built this year. Dabang said it should take another year or two before we are confident in building them. The ship's structure and the strength of the materials still need further testing. The current timber can't support such a large hull. They are trying several new splicing methods."

After listening, Yan nodded, tapped his fingers lightly on the corner of the table, and said, "That's good. There's no rush for boats with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin. We already have enough boats with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin on the Fish River. On the entire Fish River, apart from us, no one else has 200 boats with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. If we have more than 200 boats on the river, everyone will have to think twice."

Jianshi said, "Our Fire Tribe has also produced and stored other supplies quite well. This year, the tribe will have a good winter. The grain stored in the granary is enough to last for more than a year, and there is also a surplus of salt and cloth. After we move the Fire Tribe management center to the Valley Tribe, I plan to have Dali come to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost to take charge. The Fire Tribe Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and Little Fish River Mouth Outpost strongholds are very important to our Fire Tribe. I can only feel at ease if you, Uncle Jianya, and Dali are both in charge. Dali is quite capable and strong in martial arts. It is no problem for him to take charge of the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost."

Yan nodded in agreement. Jianshi's gaze lingered on Yan and Qingsui's faces for a moment, then the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile, warmer than before. "Yan'er, Qingsui, you've both worked hard lately. Since your wedding, you haven't stopped. First, you went to the Greater Qing Tribe to pick up people, then you went to the Willow Vine Tribe to migrate, and then you ran all the way back. You must not have had a good night's sleep in between." He paused, pressing his palm on the table and then releasing it. "Rest for a few days. I'll assign you tasks later. Don't worry about anything these days. Just get your energy back. There'll be a lot to do later."

Yan and Qingsui nodded simultaneously. Yan stood up, the chair making a short, sharp creaking sound behind him. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to his father, Qingsui also stood up, bowing slightly to Jianshi. The two walked out of the council hall one after the other. The door closed behind them with a low, muffled sound, and the night wind outside rushed in, carrying the coolness of the river and the damp scent of the turned earth. The torches in the camp were still burning, their flames swaying gently in the night wind, casting long, short shadows on the ground. In the distance, the door of a wooden cabin was open, letting in a warm yellow light. Someone was speaking softly inside, their voices drowned out by the wind. Most of it, only a few broken syllables escaped. Yan paused on the steps, took a deep breath, and then strode towards his dwelling. Qingsui followed beside him, their steps alternating, leaving a series of even footsteps on the dirt road of the camp. When they reached the door, Yan pushed it open and stepped aside to let Qingsui go in first. The oil lamp inside was not yet lit, and moonlight filtered in through the cracks in the window, spreading a thin, silvery-white band of light on the floor. Qingsui went in, stood by the table, and glanced back at him. Yan stood at the door, glanced again at the camp lights still burning in the distance, then stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him.