The Postwar Debate

After the Fire Tribe's army withdrew, the Tiger Tribe's leaders finally breathed a sigh of relief. The council hall was packed with people, even more so than during the last meeting. The row of low stools against the wall was full, and several layers of people stood at the door. Everyone's face showed a sense of relief, as if they had finally been able to catch their breath after being suppressed for so long. Some people even came in with smiles, saying to the people next to them, "The Fire Tribe is finally gone," but they stopped smiling halfway because the people sitting in the front row did not look so good.

Hu Zheng sat at the head of the table, placed the wooden tablet in his hand on the table, pressed his finger on the edge of the tablet, and then said, "I didn't expect the Fire Tribe to be so powerful. If they hadn't wanted to avoid too much loss, our Tiger Tribe's main camp would probably have been breached by the Fire Tribe this time. They have more ships, more people, and better weapons than us. We would have been at a disadvantage in a fight. It's already a miracle that we were able to hold onto our main camp this time." As he spoke, his gaze swept across the faces of those present, pausing briefly on Tong Dachui's face, then on Hu Bashan's face, before returning to the table.

Tong Dachui sat beside the Tongding, his face flushed red, the skin on his cheekbones taut, the lines at the corners of his eyes furrowed, and strips of cloth wrapped around his arm, seeping blood from arrow grazes during the breakout. Hearing Hu Zheng's words, he slammed his hand heavily on the table, making the earthenware bowl on it bounce. Then he spoke, his voice carrying a pent-up anger about to explode, his speech faster than usual, each word seemingly squeezed out between clenched teeth. "If it weren't for your Hu Bashan's strategy of conserving strength and refusing to the Fire Tribe, my 10,000 men wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses, and the Fire Tribe wouldn't have dared to attack our Tiger Tribe's main camp! We fought desperately at the front, while you watched from behind with your men. We charged in, and you only moved slightly; we retreated, and you retreated too, clearly conserving your strength. Now look what's happened! Most of my ships are sunk, and I've lost several thousand men, while your ships are all intact. What a fine battle you've fought!"

Hu Bashan immediately retorted, slamming the ceramic bowl he was holding onto the table with a crisp sound. He then pressed his palm down on the table, his voice booming with a hint of anger born of offense. His speech was faster than usual, and his booming voice made the ears of those sitting next to him ring. "When we set out, the leader said to only act when there was an opportunity, and to hold the line if there wasn't. You attacked when there was no opportunity, and the heavy losses are only your own fault for poor command. If you're not satisfied, go talk to the leader. The orders came from the leader; I was just following orders."

He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, then continued, his voice lower than before, but with a certain confidence born of confirmation. "If we hadn't conserved our strength, our Tiger Tribe's base would have been breached by the Fire Tribe these past few days. Think about it, when your fleet was scattered by the Fire Tribe, who held them off? It was our people! It was our people who stopped the Fire Tribe's pursuers. Otherwise, if the Fire Tribe had continued their charge down the river, your remaining troops wouldn't have even returned before the Fire Tribe's ships reached the base dock."

Tong Dachui wanted to argue further, but before he could speak, Elder Tongding stopped him. Tongding placed his hand on Tong Dachui's arm, pressing his fingers against his son's sleeve. The pressure was light but steady. Tong Dachui felt the force on his arm, glanced at his father, and Tongding shook his head slightly, a small but firm gesture. Tong Dachui opened his mouth twice, but ultimately swallowed his words. He withdrew his hand from the table, placed it on his knees, and clenched his fists, his knuckles turning a faint white.

Tongding felt as if a scale was tipping in his head. In this war between the Tiger Tribe and Fire Tribe, his faction had suffered the greatest losses; dozens of large ships had sunk, and over ten thousand people had perished. These were the core members of his Great Elder's faction, the elders brought from the Great Copper Tribe —now gone in an instant. He now had the fewest troops at his disposal. Conversely, Hu Bashan had been absorbing a large influx of people from the north, greatly increasing his strength. Although many of those recruited from the Long River had fled, even more remained. Hu Bashan now commanded the largest army in the tribe, led by the Tiger Tribe's leader Hu Zheng, whose strength now surpassed that of the Great Elder's faction. The garrison only obeyed Hu Zheng, not their Great Elder. Tongding's fingers... He tapped his knees lightly, calculating in his mind that his strength had been greatly reduced. Even if he was in the right, he had no power to argue. If he insisted on fighting, that old bastard Hu Bashan would turn on him. He had many soldiers and generals, and if a fight broke out, his faction wouldn't even be able to fight back. It seemed that the only option was to join forces with Hu Zheng. Although Hu Zheng didn't like him either, he disliked Hu Zheng even more now. If Hu Bashan Hu Bashan took control of the military, the first person he would suppress would be Hu Zheng. Hu Zheng wouldn't just stand by and watch the tribal military power fall into Hu Bashan's hands. If he went to Hu Zheng for an alliance now, Hu Zheng would probably agree. Otherwise, if Tiger Tribe were to call the shots in the Hu Bashan, their situation would become even more difficult.

Seeing that the Grand Elder's faction dared not argue with him, Hu Bashan felt even more confident. He straightened his back, took his hand off the table, slapped it on his knee, and then spoke. His voice carried a sense of satisfaction at being confirmed, and his speech was faster than usual, with a smile playing on his lips, "Chief, although the Fire Tribe has retreated, they can come back at any time. They can come after this year's autumn harvest, and they can come again next spring. We must be on guard. I suggest that we establish a unified defense organization, with myself as the highest-ranking officer in charge of the army, to uniformly deploy and command all troops. Only in this way can we firmly defend our Tiger Tribe's base."

He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. His gaze swept from Hu Zheng's face to Tongding's Tongding, then back to Hu Zheng's. He continued, his voice slightly louder than before. "As you saw, it was our men who drove the Fire Tribe Fire Tribe from their attack on the Tiger Tribe's stronghold. If it weren't for our men holding the line, the Fire Tribe's ships would have already stormed the dock. I believe I am fully capable and have the prestige to serve as their supreme leader."

Upon hearing Hu Bashan's words, Hu Zheng frowned deeply. His brows furrowed, the lines around his eyes tightened, and his fingers tapped lightly on the table, the knuckles making a very soft sound. A Shitou seemed to press on his heart. If the entire army were handed over to Hu Bashan's leadership, then the power of the Tiger Tribe would essentially fall into Hu Bashan's hands. He, the leader, would become a figurehead. No one would listen to his commands, he wouldn't be able to mobilize troops, collect taxes, or Hu Bashan could do whatever he wanted. He would be stuck sitting in the leader's seat watching. This was unacceptable to Hu Zheng. His father had passed the leadership to him, not so that he would be a figurehead. Before he could speak, the Tongding spoke first.

Tongding could no longer hold back. He straightened his back, placed his hands on the table, pressed his fingers on the surface, and then spoke. His voice carried a deep, resonant quality, as if he had been cornered and had finally regained his composure. He spoke slowly, each word seemingly carefully crafted before being uttered. "No, we can't. The Fire Tribe has already retreated and won't be able to return anytime soon. Their logistics can't keep up, and their fleet is exhausted. They won't be able to arrive until next spring at the earliest. Therefore, I suggest we don't concentrate our forces. Everyone has many things to do: patrol the west, defend the east, cultivate the fields, and harvest the grain. If we concentrate all the troops together, who will do all these things? I suggest we postpone this discussion until next spring and see how the Fire Tribe moves. Concentrating our forces now is too hasty."

After listening, Hu Zheng nodded, took his hands off the table and placed them on his knees, then spoke, his voice lower than before but steady and his pace slow. "Yes, let's see how it goes. The Grand Elder is right. The Fire Tribe has retreated and won't be back anytime soon. Everyone should take care of their own affairs first. The soldiers should be led according to the original rules, whoever is in charge should lead, and whoever is in charge should be in charge. We'll see how things go next spring."

He paused, shifting his gaze from Tongding's face to Hu Bashan's, before continuing, his voice slightly louder than before. "Chief Hu Bashan, your men should rest first. Repair the ships, mend the weapons, and sort out the situation on the north bank. We can discuss anything else later."

Upon hearing this, Hu Bashan's smile vanished, replaced by a tight smile. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, then stood up, the chair making a short, sharp squeak behind him. He took his broadsword from his belt and hung it up, then lifted the hem of his robe to the sides before speaking, his voice carrying a suppressed anger. "Alright, I'll go back and make arrangements. Whenever the leader wants to discuss this matter, just call me." He turned and strode towards the door, Hu Zhenshan and Hu Dingshan following behind. When the three reached the door, they whispered a few words, their voices carried away by the wind, before each going their separate ways.

Tongding remained seated, watching Hu Bashan's figure disappear through the doorway. He then glanced at Hu Zheng, Hu Zheng was also looking at him. Their eyes met briefly in the air, and neither spoke. Tongding noticed Hu Zheng nod slightly, a very subtle gesture that only those nearby could see. Tongding also nodded slightly, then stood up, placing his hands on the table. He gave Tong Dachui a wink, and Tong Dachui also stood up. The two of them left the council hall one after the other.