Gathering the Commanders Before Battle

Yan led his fleet, supplies, and 30,000 elite Fire Tribe downstream along the Fish River. After several days of travel, they arrived at the Great Rock River Mouth Outpost that morning. The dock had received the news early that morning, and Daya and his men were waiting along the pier. When the fleet docked, the dock had been cleaned up. The debris on the pier had been cleared away, new ropes had been placed on the mooring posts, the open space on the shore had been swept, and even the straw mats in front of the warehouse had been replaced. Yan stepped off the ship, and Daya stepped forward to greet him, stopping in front of him. Da Ya first clasped his hands in a salute, then said, "Boss, everyone is here. Bailin has arrived from the Bean River Outpost, Yingmu from the Bear River Outpost, and Shibang from the Great Green River Mouth. They are all waiting in the council hall. I have also called the leaders in charge of the Great Rock River Mouth area. Everyone is sitting in the room."

Yan nodded to him, handed the wooden tablet in his hand to the guard beside him, and then walked towards the council hall. Daya followed beside him, talking in a low voice about the recent defense situation and the movements of the Tiger Tribe. Yan nodded occasionally and asked a question occasionally. When they reached the entrance of the council hall, they heard voices coming from inside. The voices were not loud but very dense, as if many people were talking in hushed tones.

Yan pushed open the door and walked in. The council hall was full of people. All the chairs on both sides of the long table were occupied, and people were also seated on the low stools against the wall. Shibang sat to the right of the table, wearing a dark gray leather armor over a linen robe, with a bronze-buckled leather belt around his waist. His face was darker than when Yan had last seen him, the skin on his cheekbones rough and firm, but he was very energetic, his eyes bright and sparkling. He nodded slightly when he saw Yan enter. Yingmu sat next to Shibang, wearing a dark blue linen robe, a bronze-buckled leather belt around his waist, and animal-skin boots. His face was... The river wind had darkened his features, but his eyes were bright. Seeing Yan enter, he raised his hand from the table and gestured towards him. Bailin sat on the other side of the table, wearing a grayish-brown linen robe with several indelible old stains on the front. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his strong forearms. His face was thin and long, with high cheekbones and slightly sunken eyes, but his gaze was steady. Seeing Yan enter, he placed the ceramic bowl he was carrying on the table, the bottom of which made a soft tapping sound. Daya sat down next to Yan, and the council hall gradually quieted down, all eyes fixed on Yan.

Yan sat down at one end of the table, took the wooden tablet from his robes and placed it in front of him. He then glanced around at everyone present and spoke in a low but clear voice, "The autumn harvest is approaching. My father has instructed me to seize the territories of the Willow Vine Tribe and the Great Luwei Tribe, which are currently controlled by the Tiger Tribe, during the harvest. Our goal is to weaken the Tiger Tribe and strengthen our Fire Tribe. Later, when our Fire Tribe is strong enough to completely overwhelm the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe, we will launch a decisive battle to wipe them out and completely control the entire Fish River Basin." He paused, pressed his palm on the table, and continued, his voice slightly louder than before, "Does everyone have confidence?"

As soon as Yan finished speaking, everyone present shouted. Shibang was the first to stand up, slamming his palm on the table with a short, muffled thud, then yelling, "Sweep away the Tiger Tribe!" Yingmu followed suit, pulling his hand back from the table, clenching it into a fist at his side, and shouting, "Sweep away the Tiger Tribe!" Bailin slammed his earthenware bowl on the table, the bottom making a crisp sound, and then shouted. Daya, standing next to Yan, straightened his back and shouted, as did the people on the row of low stools against the wall. They stood up, and the young leaders standing at the door lowered their arms from their chests and joined in the shouting. The council hall suddenly became as noisy as a boiling pot, and the shouts echoed from inside the building to the open space of the camp. Shouts of "Sweep away the Tiger Tribe!" came one after another, making the thatched roof rustle. Some people's faces turned red from shouting, some people's neck veins bulged, some people patted each other on the shoulder after shouting, and some people took their knives from their belts and waved them above their heads.

When everyone's voices gradually quieted down, Yan withdrew his hand from the table, gestured for everyone to sit down, and then continued, "Shibang, you've been in the Greater Qing Tribe the longest. Tell everyone about the Tiger Tribe's situation in the Willow Vine Tribe and Great Luwei Tribe, so they'll have a better understanding and the fighting will go more smoothly."

Shibang stood up, first turning the wooden tablet in his hand to the front, then tapping a few spots on it with a bone needle before speaking. His voice was low but sincere. "After the Great Luwei Tribe was quickly conquered by the Wolf Tribe, it was taken over by the Tiger Tribe. There are about 30,000 people there now, mostly from affiliated or core tribes of the Great Luwei Tribe, and some from the Great Luwei Tribe's main branch. After the Tiger Tribe took over, they didn't formally incorporate them into the Tiger Tribe main branch, nor did they genuinely accept them. Instead, they constantly exploited and oppressed them, making them farm, deliver grain, build fortifications, and do manual labor." They were forced to raise livestock and produce meat, toiling away year-round, barely able to feed themselves. They had long harbored resentment towards the Tiger Tribe's rule. The Tiger Tribe had stationed four thousand troops there to control and suppress them. Most of those four thousand were from the faction of the Tiger Tribe's Grand Elder; they were well-equipped, but not elite. Only one or two thousand were truly capable fighters. If we could defeat those four thousand Tiger Tribe troops, we could quickly absorb these thirty thousand and take over this territory. Those people were already dissatisfied with the Tiger Tribe; if we attacked, they might even help us."

After listening, Yan nodded, pushed the wooden tablet on the table, and then spoke in a steady and clear voice, at a slow pace. "Tell everyone about the situation on the Willow Vine Tribe's side."

Shibang moved the bone needle on the wooden tablet and continued, "After we took the Willow Vine Tribe away, the Tiger Tribe sent troops to control that area, relocating 20,000 people there to cultivate the land. These 20,000 people are from outside the Tiger Tribe's core tribes; some were captured from the Long River, and others were coerced from other tribes. They are severely exploited, having to give most of their harvest to the Tiger Tribe, keeping only a small portion for themselves. They live a very hard life. The Tiger Tribe has stationed 3,000 troops in the Willow Vine Tribe area. Both tribes are currently controlled by the Tiger Tribe's Grand Elder, Tong Tongding. Tongding has assigned two of his leaders to manage them, one in charge of the Great Luwei and the other of the Willow Vine Tribe. Those two leaders are not particularly capable; they only rose to their positions because of Tongding's influence. If we take over these two tribes, Tongding Ding's power in the Tiger Tribe will be greatly reduced. At that time, the Tiger Tribe might even experience internal strife. The other two factions in the Tiger Tribe tribe are already dissatisfied with Tongding's control of the tribe for many years. If Tongding loses territory, they will have even more to say."

After listening, Yan nodded, pressed his palm on the table, and then said, "The Tiger Tribe only has about seven thousand troops in these two territories, which isn't difficult to deal with. The Tiger Tribe, especially their Great Elder Tongding, will definitely not give up these two territories easily. Even if our Fire Tribe can successfully seize these two territories, they will continue to reinforce their troops. Therefore, our main task this time is to strike at the reinforcements sent by the Tiger Tribe's Great Elder Tongding. As long as we defeat their reinforcements, they won't have the strength to send a second wave of troops, and only then can we completely take over these two territories with peace of mind."

He paused, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and continued, "My plan is for Yingmu to lead 8,000 men to attack the 4,000 Tiger Tribe stationed at the Great Luwei Tribe, Shibang to lead 6,000 men to attack the 3,000 Tiger Tribe stationed at the Willow Vine Tribe, Daya to coordinate the logistics of our Fire Tribe at the Great Rock River Outpost, and I will lead the remaining 10,000-plus men to guard the Fish River. As soon as the Tiger Tribe's reinforcements arrive, I will give them a heavy blow. Let's prepare and depart in three days."

After listening, everyone nodded. Yingmu pressed his palm on the table and then spoke, his voice filled with a triumphant satisfaction. "Alright, eight thousand against four thousand. I'll handle the Great Luwei. I guarantee I'll wipe out those four thousand."

Shibang nodded, put away the bone needle in his hand, and then spoke, his voice a little louder than before. "Six thousand men against three thousand. Leave Willow Vine Tribe to me; I guarantee I'll scatter those three thousand Tiger Tribe members."

Daya put the wooden tablet into his robes and said, "I'll take care of logistics. Prepare enough food, arrows, ships, and horses, and send them out as needed. You fight on the front lines, and I'll supply you from behind. You won't lack anything."

Seeing that everyone agreed, Yan took his hand off the table, patted it on his knee, and stood up. His voice was low but clear. "It's settled then. We'll depart in three days. Everyone go back and prepare. Those who need to line up, do so; those who need to stock up, do so; those who need to repair the boats, do so; and bring everything you need. We'll meet at the dock in three days and head to the Tiger Tribe." Everyone stood up and turned to walk towards the door.