Chapter 126: Setting Conditions

After considering for a moment, Meng Di had made up his mind and spoke.

"The truth is, I came here because I have taken a fancy to this land; I wish to use it for agriculture. If Chief Meng agrees, I can help you expand and strengthen your tribe. In this way, you are certain to emerge victorious in any future conflicts with other tribes."

Upon hearing this, a clear look of temptation appeared on Meng's face, but he still turned his gaze toward the High Priest, Bo.

Bo watched the flickering flames, lost in thought for a brief moment, before finally looking up.

"The ultimate fate of a small tribe like ours is to be swallowed by others. What you say is true, sir, but I fear our tribe will never have such an opportunity. As soon as we show any sign of prosperity, another tribe will immediately come knocking at our door."

"The chief of the neighboring tribe, Hu, commands a force of over ten thousand soldiers and possesses his own fortified city. He is not someone we can resist. Even if we wished to cooperate with you, we would have no chance of winning."

Meng Di remained unconcerned by this apprehension. He knew full well that cooperating with a powerful force would come at a high cost, whereas partnering with the weak was not only easier to control but also required minimal investment. Furthermore, he had a favorable impression of Meng, and a decision was reached.

"Your concern is merely the tribe of Hu. If I were to tell you that I can help you deal with them, would you be willing to cooperate with me? Naturally, there is a price. If you think it over and decide, give me your answer."

These words were directed primarily at the High Priest, Bo. The old man was clearly a man of wisdom; if he could be persuaded, Meng's agreement would likely follow. Meng Di watched the man’s expression intently.

Bo remained stoic. He lifted his wine bowl and took a sip, fully aware of the implications of Meng Di’s offer. He was weighing the consequences: if they were to pledge their allegiance to Meng Di, how would they face the wrath of Ran Yi in the future? Most importantly, they did not truly know the identities of Meng Di and his men. While his words were helpful for the current situation, what of the long term?

Seeing Bo remain silent, Meng did not speak either, instead raising his bowl to signal Meng Di to drink.

After draining the bowl, Bo finally reacted, looking at Meng Di and asking, "I am very curious about your identity. If you can tell us the truth, we might consider cooperating with your side."

"Since we are to cooperate, we must naturally be sincere. We are, in fact, followers of Prince Chao, forced into exile here. If you are willing to work with us, I can have someone take you to meet Prince Chao, though I cannot reveal my own identity just yet."

Hearing this, Bo furrowed his brows deeply. Although the Huaiyi were still in a tribal stage, they were not uninformed. Especially since Meng’s tribe was close to the State of Lu, they were well-versed in the affairs of the Central Plains.

Prince Chao was the most favored illegitimate son of King Jing of Zhou. Because he was not born of the Queen, the State of Jin had used this as a pretext to oppose him and attack, installing Prince Meng on the throne—King Dao of Zhou—only for him to be killed by Prince Chao’s forces.

The State of Jin subsequently installed Prince Gai as the monarch, King Jing of Zhou. This signaled that the House of Zhou had truly declined, becoming little more than a puppet for the feudal states. After killing King Dao, Prince Chao had fled south, his whereabouts becoming a mystery thereafter.

Bo had not expected these people to be followers of Prince Chao, which left him hesitant. After all, the Zhou royal house now had an established king backed by the power of Jin. Under these circumstances, defecting to Prince Chao was not a wise choice.

Meng Di naturally sensed Bo’s concerns and smiled faintly.

"You may take your time to consider this. Furthermore, I am not asking you to openly declare your support for Prince Chao now, but rather to support us in secret. We will build a city here, teach you how to farm and fish, and train your soldiers."

"In this way, you need not worry about retaliation from Ran Yi in the near term, and you will be able to leap forward to become a great tribe."

These words did not fully alleviate Bo’s doubts. After contemplating for a moment, he asked, "If you truly build a city here, will these cities belong to us or to you in the end?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Di’s smile faded. He set down his wine bowl, his expression turning solemn.

"If you submit to my authority, these cities may belong to you. Otherwise, our relationship remains one of cooperation; you may come to the city to trade for the goods you need, but you may not settle within."

For Bo, this proposal was a significant temptation. If he accepted, the future of his tribe would certainly improve, but the condition was becoming a vassal to this man.

However, he did not deliberate for long. With their current strength, the tribe struggled even to ensure its own survival. Faced with such an opportunity, his options were limited. To put it bluntly, if he offended this man, they would be crushed in an instant.

Seeing the flicker of interest on Meng’s face, Bo immediately agreed, though he added a condition.

"If you can truly defeat the tribe of Hu, our entire clan will pledge our allegiance to you and become your subjects."

Meng Di was overjoyed. He raised his wine bowl and said with a smile, "In that case, I will take men to attack the tribe of Hu tomorrow. You may claim to the outside world that you have simply taken in a nobleman from the Central Plains and received his assistance. This will spare you from any unprovoked disaster in the future."

Hearing this, a look of excitement appeared on Meng’s face as he raised his bowl and shouted, "If that is the case, we can take our revenge on Hu’s tribe and seize all their women and children! Before long, we will be the greatest tribe in this region!"

Bo, however, kept his eyes fixed on the swords worn by the guards behind Meng Di. His eyes glowed as he asked, "Honored guest, the swords worn by your guards—surely they are not made of bronze?"

Meng Di’s heart stirred at these words, and he nodded.

"Indeed, they are not bronze, but 'evil metal.' Because the smelting process is extremely difficult, we have very little of it. How did the High Priest discern this?"

The term "evil metal" was the common name for iron in that era. Meng Di was surprised by Bo’s discernment; iron implements were rare in this age and only began to emerge more frequently after the Warring States period, due to reforms and advancements in smelting technology.

However, the tribe before him was clearly relatively primitive, with bronze smelting technology inferior to that of the Central Plains. How could he possibly know?