Tensions are high in the Qinghai camp, as they set about preparing for another summer expedition. News from the west is only of domestic troubles, and many fear it will cut off this years expeditions short. Not only this, the locals don't seem to have any interest or means of building their own administration either. No Ili valley here, just disinterested locals who know better than to speak up.

This results in a surprisingly colonial administration, led by the expedition leaders for now, that has a single goal: set up the iron mines. The territory is a new challenge for the state, that so far has been able to prop up it's local power based on existing structures that can be absorbed or expanded. It remains to be seen whether the state can successfully manage a large, uncoordinated area far from home.

[Improved Iron in C91. Iron Iron Iron Iron Iron.]