Sounding the Depths of the Yue River

Just as Tiger Hu Bashan of the Tiger Tribe sent Hu Yi to the Western Shu Tribe, Tongding also dispatched Hu Zhua Claw with a boat to the Wuyue Tribe. Tiger Hu Zhua was an old spy under Tongding Cauldron, not tall but very thin, wearing a dark gray linen short robe with several old stains on the front that could not be washed off, a hemp rope tied around his waist, and straw sandals on his feet. His face was thin and narrow, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a pair of small but very lively eyes that darted around when he looked at people, as if he was always calculating something. He led people and supplies, set off by boat from the Tiger Tribe's main camp, and traveled downstream along the Long River from west to east for more than ten days. That morning, he arrived at the Yue River estuary dock.

The main camp of the Wuyue Tribe was about a month and a half's walk from the main camp of the Tiger Tribe, but traveling downstream by water was much faster. The Yue River was a tributary of the Long River Long River, flowing from the south and joining the Yue River on its south bank. The banks of the Wuyue Tribe River were lined with rice paddies and bamboo forests. The Wuyue Tribe's camp was built on both banks of the Yue River estuary; the main village was on the east bank, and the docks and warehouses were on the west bank. The Wu-Yue tribe was quite powerful, with a population of around 170,000 and nearly 40,000 warriors. They had some connection with the Eastern Di, a super-large tribe in the northeast with a population of over a million, nominally as a Eastern Di state, sending them supplies annually. The Eastern Di didn't interfere much in their affairs. The conflict between the Wuyue Tribe and Tiger Tribe was quite prominent. Over a decade ago, the previous leader of the Tiger Tribe tribe led an eastern expedition, fighting a major battle with Wuyue. The previous leader of the Tiger Tribe tribe was seriously wounded in the battle and died after returning. Wuyue also suffered heavy losses. The enmity between the two sides began then, and only in recent years has it eased somewhat, but occasional skirmishes still occur.

Today, welcoming Hu Zhua at the dock is Yue Jiao, the first warrior of the Wuyue Tribe. Yue Jiao is the eldest son of Chief Yue Kun, twenty-seven years old this year. He is tall, broad-shouldered, and narrow-waisted, wearing a dark blue brocade short robe embroidered with fish and water ripples. A wide leather belt with a bronze buckle is tied around his waist, from which hangs a bronze spear. The spear shaft is made of bamboo, light and resilient, its tip gleaming in the afternoon sun. His face is long and thin, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a dark complexion. His brow bones are higher than average, and his eyes are deep and bright, piercing when he looks at someone. The light seemed to penetrate the water to the bottom. He had a short, neatly trimmed beard. As soon as Hu Zhua stepped ashore, Yue Jiao spoke coldly, his voice low but clear, a beat slower than usual, his tone carrying a long-suppressed barb. "Hu Zhua Claw Chief, did you bring your men here today to provoke our Wuyue Tribe, or what? Your Tiger Tribe has been patrolling the border quite frequently lately; our sentry boats have encountered you several times. Today you've personally brought your men to our doorstep—are you here to discuss business or to cause trouble?"

Hu Zhua Claw chuckled, the smile extending from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes, but there was little joy in his eyes. He handed the Jiangsheng to his attendant and then said, "Yue Jiao is too kind. If our Tiger Tribe were truly coming to cause trouble, we wouldn't have brought such a small group. Chief Yue Jiao, please take me to see your leader. I have important matters to discuss with him; it's a good thing, not a bad thing."

Yue Jiao snorted, slamming his spear on the ground. The end of the spearhead struck the stone slab with a crisp sound. Then he spoke, his voice carrying a suppressed but not entirely suppressed hostility. "I hope you're not lying, or my father will make you pay." With that, he turned and led the way, his steps large and quick. Hu Zhua Claw and his men followed behind, walking along the dirt road from the dock toward the camp. On both sides of the road were stretches of bamboo groves and rice paddies. Some people were bending over planting rice seedlings in the fields, while others were cutting bamboo in the groves. When they saw Yue Jiao leading the Tiger Tribe people approaching, they all straightened up and glanced at him before lowering their heads to continue working. However, some slowed down their work, their eyes still glancing in their direction.

Hu Zhua followed Yue Jiao for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until they arrived at the entrance of the council hall. The council hall was a large house built of rough wood and bamboo, with a roof covered with thick thatch and bamboo mats, and walls woven from bamboo strips with dry grass stuffed into the gaps. Two fishing nets hung at the entrance as curtains. Yue Jiao lifted the fishing nets and went inside, with Hu Zhua following. They saw Yue Kun, the leader of the Wuyue Tribe, sitting in the main seat. Yue Kun was about fifty years old, tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He wore a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with fish and water ripples, and a wide leather belt with a bronze buckle around his waist. A bronze short knife hung from the belt, and the scabbard was inlaid with several... A seashell. His face was long and thin, with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and dark skin. His eyes were deep and bright, and when he looked at people, his gaze seemed to penetrate to the bottom of the water. He had a short, graying beard on his chin. He was holding a wooden tablet in his hand. When he saw Hu Zhua enter, he placed the tablet on the table, pressed his finger on the edge of the tablet, and then spoke, his voice not loud but very clear. "Hu Zhua Claw, you are a rare guest indeed. The last time your Tiger Tribe sent people was several years ago. The people who came that time were unpleasant to hear, and I sent them away. You must have something important to discuss with me this time, otherwise you wouldn't have come all this way in person."

Hu Zhua smiled and said to his attendant, "Bring up the gifts for Chief Yue Kun." The attendant immediately brought up several wooden boxes. Opening the lids, they revealed some bronze knives and exquisite pottery. The bronze knives were polished to a gleaming shine, their blades gleaming coldly. The pottery included black jars and red bowls, the jars engraved with patterns, the bowls with rounded rims, and of good quality. Hu Zhua pushed the wooden boxes onto the table and then spoke, his voice carrying a relieved satisfaction. "Just a small token, nothing special, Chief Yue Kun, please don't find it offensive."

Yue Kun glanced at the gifts, withdrew his hands from the table, placed them on his knees, and then spoke, his voice carrying a cautious tone that followed aroused curiosity. "Hu Zhua Claw Chief, just say what you want to say. There's no need for this. Your Tiger Tribe never brings anything when they come before. This time you're bringing knives and pottery. It makes me uneasy. Just tell me what's on your mind, and we can talk about the gifts later."

After listening, Hu Zhua withdrew his hand from the wooden box, placed it in front of him, and then said, "I came here this time to represent the Tiger Tribe in establishing friendly relations with the Wuyue Tribe. A Fire Tribe upstream of our Fish River is currently causing trouble. They've joined forces with several other tribes to fight us. We're preparing to concentrate our forces to suppress them. Therefore, our Tiger Tribe is preparing to withdraw all its troops to return all the territory that originally belonged to your Wuyue Tribe. That territory originally belonged to you; our Tiger Tribe has occupied it for so many years, and now it's time to return it."

Yue Kun, the leader of the Wuyue Tribe, exclaimed in surprise. He leaned forward, placed his hands on the table with his fingers interlaced, and spoke with a urgency that came from shock, "Really? Did I hear that right? Your Tiger Tribe has never done anything like this before. You've fought us for years over a few pieces of land, and so many people have died. Now you're just returning it like that? It seems this Fire Tribe is very difficult to deal with. Your Tiger Tribe has been hurt, so you've thought of returning the land to us so you can free up your resources to deal with the Fire Tribe. Is that the logic?"

Hu Zhua Claw's expression didn't change much after hearing this, but he tapped his fingers lightly in front of him before saying, "What I just said is indeed true. We will cede the territory; you can send someone to pick us up. However, the Fire Tribe isn't as powerful as you think. A few years ago, they were just a small tribe with a few hundred people; they only developed in recent years. They united with several tribes to fight us, which is why we're finding it a bit troublesome. If they hadn't allied with other tribes, and if we hadn't wanted to avoid too much loss, we wouldn't have tolerated them until now. Our Tiger Tribe still has its foundation; as long as we concentrate our forces, dealing with them is only a matter of time."

Yue Kun clearly didn't believe it, but he didn't refute it. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his mind weighing its options. The Tiger Tribe was now preparing to return a large area of territory, which was a tangible benefit. As for how powerful the Fire Tribe was, that was the Tiger Tribe's business, not his. He took his hand off the table, placed it on his knees, and then spoke, his voice carrying a calculated certainty. "Alright, we'll take the territory. Whenever you withdraw, we'll send someone to pick you up."

After listening, Hu Zhua Claw leaned forward and said, "Of course, if your Wuyue Tribe is willing to assist us in suppressing the Fire Tribe, our Tiger Tribe is also willing to give you a piece of land of equal size. You can send 20,000 troops to press on the flank of the Fire Tribe. You don't need to fight a hard battle; just tie down their forces. Once our Tiger Tribe has dealt with the Fire Tribe, that land will be yours."

After listening, Yue Kun waved his hand, then said, "Forget it then. We don't want to get involved in your affairs. Whether it's the Fire Tribe or the Tiger Tribe, you fight your battles, we won't interfere. We'll only take over our territory, don't bother us with anything else. If there's nothing else, you can go back now. I'll send someone to take over the territory. Just let us know when you're leaving."

Seeing Yue Kun's attitude, Hu Zhua, though displeased, clenched his fingers at his side and then released them, his knuckles turning a faint white, but his smile remained. He withdrew his hand from in front of him, stood up, and the chair made a short, sharp creak behind him. Then he spoke, his voice steady and clear. "Then I won't disturb you any longer. I will report back about the territory matter, and I will send someone to inform you when we withdraw." After speaking, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yue Kun, turned, and walked towards the door. Hu Zhua and his men followed behind, lifting the fishing net curtain and leaving the council hall, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance in the corridor.

After Hu Zhua and his men left, Yue Jiao said to his father, Yue Kun, his voice carrying a suppressed but not completely suppressed urgency. "Father, how much of what Hu Zhua said is true? Will their Tiger Tribe really return the territory to us? They've occupied that territory for over ten years, and they're just going to return it like that? I have a feeling there's something fishy going on."

Yue Kun withdrew his hand from his knees, tapped it lightly on the table, and then said, "Some of it should be true. The Tiger Tribe wouldn't voluntarily give up their territory unless they encountered serious trouble. Their Fire Tribe must have caused quite a stir. Regardless of whether it's true or not, we must be prepared to take over the territory. As soon as the Tiger Tribe retreats, we will take control of the territory that originally belonged to us, send people to take over, re-erect the boundary markers, and re-establish the sentry posts."

He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, and said, "Also, send people to the Fish River to investigate the specific situation of the Tiger Tribe and the Fire Tribe. Send a few clever men to go upstream along the Fish River and see what the Fire Tribe is all about, how many people they have, how many boats they have, how many battles they fought with the Tiger Tribe, and how much the Tiger Tribe lost. No matter what Hu Zhua says, as long as we have some time, we will naturally know the most truthful situation."

After listening, Yue Jiao nodded, picked up the spear from the ground, and spoke, his voice lower than before. "Alright, I'll send some men to the Fish River tomorrow, pick a few clever ones, disguise them as fish and bamboo vendors, and have them travel upstream along the Fish River to the Fire Tribe's territory to take a look, and also to find out about the Tiger Tribe's defenses. Once they return, we'll know what to do."