Seeking peace

Just after Yan and his men left, the Tiger Tribe's council hall was filled with people, all in low spirits. The hall was quiet; no one spoke, and even coughs were rare. Those in the front row looked down at the table, while those in the back leaned against the wall with their eyes closed. Some held earthenware bowls in their hands, the water long since cold and untouched. Some rested their knives on their knees, their fingers slowly stroking the hilts. Others propped their elbows on the table, their hands supporting their chins, their eyes fixed on the Hutou banner on the wall. The obsidian eyes on the banner gleamed dimly under the lamplight, as if watching the people in the room.

Hu Zheng sat at the head of the table, placed the wooden tablet in his hand on the table, pressed his finger along the edge of the tablet, glanced at everyone, and spoke in a low but clear voice, his speech slower than usual, each word as if he had slowly polished it before uttering it. "This time, the Fire Tribe destroyed eight of our strongholds, causing us to lose four thousand soldiers and more than twenty thousand people, and even lost those territories. They also swaggered around not far from our Tiger Tribe's main camp. Their fleet sailed past our fortress walls, and we didn't even dare to fire arrows. Now our Tiger Tribe only has about two hundred thousand people left, and our military strength is less than thirty thousand, of which only about ten thousand are elite. With the Fire Tribe causing such trouble, our Tiger Tribe will definitely not have enough food next year. All the fields where those strongholds are located are now in the hands of the Fire Tribe. Without that food, how will we feed so many people next year? If the Fire Tribe comes again next year, how will we resist?"

At this point, the Tiger Tribe had no intention of fighting amongst themselves. With the Fire Tribe posing a significant threat, Hu Bashan's original intention to suppress the Grand Elder's faction was now abandoned. He sat in the first seat to Hu Zheng's left, took his broadsword from his belt and leaned it against the side of the stool. He then placed his hands on the table, his fingers interlaced. His face was dark and rough, the skin on his cheekbones reddened by the river wind, and the lines at the corners of his eyes looked as if they had been carved with a knife. His eyes were not large but fierce, though today they were much less fierce. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table and then spoke, his voice loud but carrying a weight of reality. "Chief, the Fire Tribe is coming on strong. I suggest that the tribe consolidate all its troops outside the camp at the main camp, gather all capable fighters there, strengthen and reinforce the walls, fill the granaries, and shrink into a fist. If the Fire Tribe attacks, we will defend. They won't be able to break in, and eventually they will retreat on their own. Otherwise, we might not even be able to hold onto our main camp."

Upon hearing this, Hu Zheng's brows furrowed, and the lines around his eyes tightened. He pressed his palm on the table and spoke, his voice filled with the reluctance of someone who had just suffered a loss. "If we withdraw all our forces, what will happen to the territories on both sides? We fought so hard to conquer those places. The eastern territory was fought over for years with the Wuyue Tribe, and the western territory was seized from the Western Shu Tribe. How many people died for those territories? Are we just going to give them away to the Wuyue Tribe and Western Shu Tribe for nothing? As soon as we leave, they will immediately occupy them, and then we won't even have a chance to maneuver."

After listening, Hu Bashan withdrew his hand from the table, patted his knee, and then spoke, his voice lower than before. "There's no other way now. If we don't give up on these things, our Tiger Tribe might soon be gone. We can take back the territory we lose, but once we've lost everyone, we have nothing left. We'll withdraw our troops, defend our base, and wear down the Fire Tribe. Once we've recovered, we can go out and take back the territory."

The eldest elder, Tongding, also spoke. He sat in the first seat to Hu Zheng's right, placed the earthenware bowl he was holding on the table, and the bottom of the bowl made a soft tapping sound. He then said, "Yes, Chief, this is the only way we can do it. But we can send an envoy to make peace with them, saying that we voluntarily gave up the east to Wuyue and the west to Western Shu. We can make it clear to them that we gave up the east not because we couldn't defeat them, but because we didn't want to fight them anymore. That way, they won't take the opportunity to attack us, and we can free up our resources to deal with the Fire Tribe."

He paused, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and continued, "Furthermore, we can use this to seek cooperation with the Western Shu Tribe. We can ask them to sell us grain. Their land in Western Shu is fertile and well-watered, and they have more grain than they can eat, with a surplus every year. We can exchange copper ingots and cloth with them; they should be willing. If we can invite them to join us in fighting the Fire Tribe, that would be even better. The Western Shu Tribe over 100,000 people and quite a few bronze weapons."

After listening, Hu Zheng took his hand off the table, placed it on his knee, tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, and then spoke, his voice lower than before, but with a calculated certainty. "This is the only way. The Wuyue Tribe and we have a blood feud; my father died at the Wuyue Tribe hands. They probably won't help us. It would be good enough if they didn't take the opportunity to attack us. But we can still try to contact and win over the Western Shu Tribe. We don't have a blood feud with them. Although we've fought a few battles over the years, they've all been small-scale, and we haven't formed a deadly enmity. They also want to expand eastward. If we cede territory, they'll benefit and should be willing to talk to us." He paused, shifting his gaze from Tongding's face to Hu Bashan's face, and then continued, "Chief Hu Bashan, send someone to Western Shu to make contact, bringing copper ingots and cloth. First, talk to them about ceding territory, then about buying grain, and finally, sound them out to see if they're willing to join us in dealing with the Fire Tribe."

After listening, Hu Bashan nodded, pressed his palm on the table, and said, "Alright, I'll send someone to Western Shu tomorrow with a batch of copper ingots and cloth. They'll first contact Western Shu border chief there and sound out their intentions. As for the Wuyue region in the east, I suggest Elder Tongding send someone there as well. Tell them we're voluntarily ceding that territory and don't want to fight them anymore, so they won't take this opportunity to attack us. Elder Tongding has dealt with the Wuyue Tribe before and knows who carries weight on their side."

After listening, Tongding nodded, picked up the wooden tablet from the table, drew two lines on it with a bone needle, and then said, "Alright, I'll send people to the east. I know a few leaders in Wuyue and Yue; send some gifts there, make our intentions clear, and they shouldn't take the opportunity to attack. We've ceded territory; they've gained an advantage, so they should know when to stop." They then discussed the matter of consolidating their forces and sending envoys for a while. After everything was said, they all got up and left the council hall to make arrangements.