Plans for After the Autumn Harvest

Inside the Fire Tribe Management Center's council hall, after everyone had finished eating and drinking, the stewed chicken in the earthenware pot on the table was reduced to broth, the fish bowl had only a few fish bones and slices of ginger left, the earthenware pan for making pancakes was empty, the bowl for stir-fried wild vegetables had only a few vegetable leaves left, and the bowl for steamed pumpkin had only two pieces left at the bottom. Everyone put down their earthenware bowls; some leaned back in their chairs to rest, some moved their stools back and crossed their legs, and some were still slowly drinking the last sip of water from their bowls. Jianshi placed his earthenware bowl on the table, the bottom of the bowl making a soft tapping sound on the wooden board, and then he spoke, "Yan'er, tell everyone about the specific details of this attack on the Wolf Tribe. Some of the brothers here didn't go to the front lines; they only know that we won, but they don't know how we won. Tell us so that everyone has a general idea."

Yan put down the bowl in his hand, stood up, and the chair made a short, sharp creaking sound behind him. He was considered tall in the council hall, towering over those who were seated when he stood. He first turned the wooden tablet in front of him to the front, tapped a few spots on it with a bone needle, and then spoke, his voice not loud but very clear. "This time, we have deployed six thousand cavalry on the south bank of the Great Rock Great Rock and three thousand on the north bank. The Wolf Tribe has about four thousand cavalry on both banks of the Great Rock River, three thousand on the south bank and one thousand on the north bank. Their forces are already fewer than ours, so our combined forces..." Nine thousand men against four thousand of them, more than two against one. We arrived just in time for their retreat; all their cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs had been driven out of their camp, all their grain was loaded onto carts, and their men were gathering—clearly they were preparing to flee. This saved us a lot of trouble. If they had stayed in their camp and held out, those double-layered fences filled with earth and stones would have been impenetrable by arrows, and a direct assault would have resulted in significant losses. But they chose this moment to flee, leaving the protection of the fences behind. Their convoy stretched out in a long line, unable to support each other or rely on each other for support. This was the perfect opportunity."

He paused, tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden tablet, and then continued, his voice slightly louder than before. "We struck them hard while they were retreating. Shinian led two thousand cavalry to charge their main force from the front, Daya led a thousand cavalry to outflank their supply convoy from the eastern forest. I led fifteen hundred cavalry to provide rear support, and Shibang led three thousand cavalry to surround and kill them from the north. Of their four thousand men, only a few dozen escaped. Xueya led a few riders to break through Daya's defenses. All the grain carts, livestock, tents, and weapons fell into our hands."

He retrieved the bone needle from the wooden tablet, changed his grip, and continued, "Later, during the pursuit, we ambushed the Wolf Tribe's reinforcements. Xueshou led nine hundred cavalry from Stone Ridge Mountain to meet them. We sent scouts ahead to explore, and they discovered Xueshou's forces halfway there. They set up an ambush in Little Mountain valley ahead, with four hundred archers lying in ambush on both sides of the cliff, five hundred cavalrymen circling around to the back of the valley to block their retreat, and I leading six hundred cavalrymen to block the valley entrance. Xueshou's nine hundred men plunged headlong into the ambush, and we attacked them from all sides. In less than an hour, they were all wiped out. I knocked Xueshou off his horse, and his men either died or surrendered. We then took advantage of the situation to capture the Wolf Tribe's stronghold."

He paused, placed the wooden tablet back on the table, and continued, his voice lower than before. "This time, we wiped out the two leaders of the Wolf Tribe, Duzhu and Xueshou. Although Xueya and Yexiao escaped, they only took a few dozen men with them, and they can no longer cause any Langhua in this area." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "This time, we not only seized a large amount of supplies, but also controlled a large number of the Wolf Tribe's affiliated tribes. We've identified over 20,000 people who can directly join our Fire Tribe, and the rest are also laborers, capable of farming, raising livestock, and doing everything else. We've now taken over all of the former Great Boulder Tribe's territory—the South Bank Camp, the North Bank Camp, the Stone Ridge Mountain lair, and the surrounding strongholds and outposts are all in our hands. From now on, when we fight the Tiger Tribe, we won't have to worry about the Wolf Tribe anymore. Before, every time we went north, we had to keep a backup plan against the Wolf Tribe stabbing us in the back. Now that thorn in our side is gone, we can fight however we want."

After listening, Jianshi nodded, pressed his palm on the table, and then spoke, his voice low but clear. "Yes, you made great contributions in attacking the Wolf Tribe this time. Shinian, Daya, Shibang, Julang, and all the brothers who participated in the battle, everyone deserves a reward. I will discuss with everyone the appropriate rewards, including grain, cloth, and livestock. Those who deserve it will be distributed, and those who deserve it will be rewarded. We can't let our brothers work hard only to be disheartened." He paused, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and continued, "This year, we've made good progress in all aspects. The people we absorbed last year have basically been integrated into our Fire Tribe. Most of those from the Willow Vine Tribe and the Greater Qing Tribe have settled down, have houses to live in, food to eat, and work to do. The children have also started learning our language and our customs. They've basically integrated. This time, after conquering the Wolf Tribe, our population has increased significantly, and with the labor force, our population has grown even larger."

He paused, took his hands off the table, placed them on his knees, and continued, "I've received news that the Tiger Tribe's population growth on the Long River of the Long River is slowing down, and their numbers are dwindling. Many people have fled from there, slowing their population growth. Our Tiger Tribe Fire Tribe's population growth is much faster. Our natural population growth, plus the influx of new members, adds tens of thousands a year, but it's still not enough." He paused again, tapping his fingers lightly on his knees. "I plan to wage war against the Tiger Tribe after this autumn harvest. Of course, not a decisive battle, but to reclaim the territories of the former Willow Vine Tribe and Great Luwei Tribe. Those two places were occupied by the Tiger Tribe. We took the Willow Vine Tribe's people, but the land fell into their hands. The Great Luwei Tribe was even swallowed up by them. If we take back these two places, we will not only increase our population and territory but also weaken the Tiger Tribe's strength. Without the food and people from those two places, their strength will drop, while with the food and people from those two places, our strength will increase."

After listening, Yan retrieved the wooden tablet from the table and spoke, his voice steady and clear. "Okay, I will definitely complete the mission. If the Tiger Tribe dares to come and steal it, I will make them pay."

After listening, Jianshi nodded, pressed his palm on the table, and said, "Okay, take the next few days and let everyone rest well. The brothers are tired after fighting for so long. Let them rest for a few days and recover their strength. I've already sent boats to gather manpower at various strongholds upstream of the Fish River. They'll all gather at the management center. You'll take them to settle at the strongholds at the Great Rock River Mouth Outpost and Great Green River Mouth Outpost. Take some people from there to the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. There are enough houses and the granaries at Fire Creek River Mouth are full, so people can settle down as soon as they arrive. After the autumn harvest, we'll launch an attack on the Willow Vine Tribe and Great Luwei Tribe. Before the autumn harvest, let's settle the people, prepare enough food and fodder, get the boats ready, and train the soldiers. Once the autumn harvest arrives, we'll make our move."

Yan nodded in agreement, put the wooden tablet into his pocket, and then sat back down in his chair. They then chatted for a while longer about the details of the military deployment and resource allocation after the autumn harvest. Someone suggested increasing the number of boats at the Great Rock River Mouth, saying it was close to the Tiger Tribe's stronghold and there wouldn't be enough boats. Someone else suggested storing more grain at the Great Green River Mouth, saying it was a forward base for the northward campaign and that sufficient provisions were necessary. Someone proposed replacing the eight hundred men at the Stone Ridge Mountain stronghold with a new batch of soldiers. Jianshi listened to all of this, occasionally nodding in agreement. He occasionally interjected with a supplementary comment, and after saying everything he needed to say, he stood up, pressed his palm on the table, looked around at everyone present, and then spoke, his voice not loud but clear. "Everyone, don't let your guard down. The Wolf Tribe is gone, but the Tiger Tribe is behind. The Tiger Tribe is much larger and stronger than the Wolf Tribe. Fighting them will be a tough battle, and we can't be careless. That's all for today, everyone go back and rest." Everyone stood up and walked towards the door, their footsteps gradually fading away in the corridor.