Spring Came, and the Waters Warmed

The Fire Tribe experienced a relatively peaceful winter. Several snowfalls, none too heavy, accumulated on the rooftops, melted and refrozen repeatedly, eventually dripping down the eaves and forming a row of fine icicles, some long, some short, gleaming coldly in the winter sun. The granaries at each outpost were full, firewood was plentiful, and winter clothes were distributed to everyone. Occasionally, someone would catch a cold, but the tribal doctor would brew a few pots of herbal soup, and after a couple of days, they would recover. No major epidemics occurred throughout the winter, and no one froze or starved to death. The fires in the workshops never went out, and the shipbuilding workshop operated day and night in shifts, the sound of hammers striking wooden planks echoing intermittently from morning till night.

After spring arrives, the melting snow flows down the hillside and into the Fish River, causing the river level to rise significantly. The water level at the dock is several feet higher than in winter, allowing boats to moor closer to the shore, and the gangplank doesn't need to be extended as far to reach the land. People have started turning the soil in the fields, and the turned earth gleams with a deep brown sheen in the sunlight, emitting a damp, earthy smell. Several early birds fly out from the Luwei by the river, their wings flashing briefly in the morning light before folding back down and landing in the shallow water in the distance.

In the Great Luwei Tribe camp, Yingmu returned from outside, bringing a gust of cool wind with him as he entered the council hall. He wore a dark gray linen robe, with dried mud stains on the cuffs and trousers. His skin was reddened by the spring breeze, and fine ash was embedded in the rough lines of his cheekbones. He walked to the brazier, warmed his hands over it, then turned and sat down opposite Yan. He first looked Yan up and down, noticing that his cheekbones were more prominent than in winter, and his eye sockets were more sunken. He said, "Boss, you haven't been home once this winter. Your wife and the others must miss you terribly. Yi'er has probably grown quite a bit. If you, as his father, don't go back to see him soon, the child will hardly recognize you anymore."

After listening, Yan placed the wooden tablet on his lap, tapped the edge of it with his finger, and then said, "This is a crucial period for the tribe's development, and many things have to be put aside for now. The situation with the Tiger Tribe isn't finished yet, and I have a lot of things to attend to here. Many tribespeople have made great sacrifices for the tribe's development, and as the young chief, I can't just run back first." He paused, turned the tablet over, tapped it lightly with his finger, and then looked up at the Yingmu. "By the way, how's the investigation you sent to the Tiger Tribe going?"

He pulled the Yingmu handle from above the brazier, rested it on his knee, rubbed his fingers on his knee to wipe the ash from his palms, and then said, "We've verified through various channels that the Tiger Tribe has now withdrawn all its forces back to its main camp. The troops on both the east and west sides have been withdrawn, leaving only a few scouts on the border. They've recently purchased a lot of grain from the Western Shu Tribe and exchanged it for a considerable amount of supplies. Our scouts saw their fleet return from Western Shu several times, the ships were fully loaded, and the draft was very deep, clearly indicating heavy loads. Their docks have also been very busy lately, with ships coming and going."

Yan listened, nodded, put the wooden tablet into his robes, then pressed his hands on his knees and spoke, his voice steady and clear. "It's said that the relationship between the Tiger Tribe and the Western Shu Tribe has improved considerably in recent years. Now the Tiger Tribe can trade large quantities of goods with the Western Shu Tribe. It seems they've reached some kind of deal. We need to pay close attention. They're buying so much grain; it's definitely for war. They know we might have to fight them again this year, so they're stockpiling supplies." He paused, shifting his gaze from the Yingmu face to the Shibang face, then back again, and continued, his voice lower than before, "Everything else is fine, but if the Western Shu Tribe receives some benefits from the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe unites with them, it will be much more troublesome for us. The Western Shu Tribe has 150,000 people and 30,000 warriors. If they advance from the west, it will be much more difficult for us to fight them."

Shibang, standing nearby, also spoke up. He placed his short knife on his knee, the cloth strip on the hilt crumpled from his grip, and said, "Yes, but even if those two tribes unite, they are no match for our Fire Tribe. We are currently stronger than both of them combined. We have more ships, more soldiers, and more provisions. If they unite, they can only hold out a little longer. It's just that our losses will be greater, our deaths will be more numerous, and the battle will last longer, but in the end, we will still win."

Yan nodded, took the wooden tablet out of his pocket again, spread it on his lap, and drew a line on it with a bone needle. He then said, "Yes, but we still need to understand the situation clearly so we can make adequate preparations. We can't fight an unprepared battle. We need to know the extent of their alliance, how many troops they've deployed, when they'll attack, and from which direction. Only by understanding these things can we make advance arrangements and minimize losses." He looked away from the wooden tablet, at Yingmu, and then spoke, his voice slightly higher than before, "Yingmu, is there any other news?"

Yingmu leaned forward, placed his hands on his knees, and then spoke, his voice lower than before. "Recently, we discovered spies from the Wuyue Tribe, but they were driven away by our people. Those spies disguised themselves as fishmongers and bamboo craft sellers. When they reached the vicinity of our Great Luwei River Mouth, they were stopped by our sentry boats. They knew nothing when questioned, spoke haltingly, and had knives and short bows hidden under the boat's hold. They didn't seem like merchants, so we drove them away. It seems that even the Wuyue Tribe knows about our Fish River, and they've sent people to gather information as well."

After listening, Yan nodded, retrieved the bone needle from the wooden tablet, and then said, "It seems that after the Tiger Tribe withdrew its forces back to its main camp, the vacated territory to their east and west is likely to be occupied by these two tribes. The commotion in our Fish River has certainly affected the Western Shu Tribe and Wuyue Tribe as well. However, the relationship between the Wuyue Tribe and Tiger Tribe has never been good. In the great battle over a decade ago, the previous leader of the Tiger Tribe died at the hands of Wuyue. Both the Wuyue Tribe and Tiger Tribe are aware of this grudge. Even if we fight the Tiger Tribe, their chances of helping are slim. They're more likely to sit on the sidelines and watch, waiting for us to fight to the death so they can reap the benefits. The Tiger Tribe is most likely to have spent a lot of money to contact the Western Shu Tribe. The Western Shu Tribe and the Tiger Tribe don't have a blood feud, and their relationship has improved considerably in recent years. Offering some benefits is enough to win them over. The Wuyue Tribe is probably just looking to gain more benefits and occupy some territory, testing the waters; they won't actually send troops to help the Tiger Tribe."

After listening, Daya put down the fire poker in his hand, wiped his hands on his trouser leg, and then spoke, his voice carrying a suppressed but not completely suppressed urgency. "Boss, should we contact the Wuyue Tribe to attack the Tiger Tribe together? They have a grudge against the Tiger Tribe, and they might be willing to send troops to advance from the east. The Tiger Tribe will be attacked from both sides, making our battle much easier."

Yan shook his head, withdrew his hand from the wooden tablet, waved it in front of him, and said, "No need. We've never had contact with the Wuyue Tribe, we don't know their background, whether they keep their word, or whether their military action is genuine or feigned. Calling them over would only cause trouble. Besides, our Fire Tribe can handle the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe; there's no need to call for help. Otherwise, if we call them, it'll be difficult to divide the territory after we take it. They'll demand a share of land for every two soldiers they send, and if we can't reach an agreement, it'll be even more troublesome. We can divide the territory ourselves; it'll save us the trouble."

He paused, tucked the wooden tablet into his robes, then glanced around at everyone present. His voice rose slightly as he spoke, "Daya, spring plowing is just around the corner. You'll be in charge of the spring plowing and supplies at several outposts. Make sure you have enough seeds, tools, and oxen. Plow the land where it needs to be plowed, and sow the seeds where they need to be sown. Don't miss the planting season. Shibang, you'll be in charge of the training at several nearby outposts. Don't be rusty on the battlefield. Yingmu, continue sending people to scout the Tiger Tribe. Send out several groups, some by water, some by land, and get a clear picture of their situation. Report back to me."

Everyone accepted the order, stood up, and the chairs scraped against the floor. Daya leaned the fire poker back against the corner, Shibang hung the dagger back on his belt, and Yingmu put the wooden tablet into his bosom. The three of them walked towards the door, their footsteps fading into the corridor.