The twenty-fifth of December is fast approaching.

On this day, Chi Hu and Sobud agreed to exchange hostages at Zhenyuan Pass. Since two or three days ago, the vicinity of Zhenyuan Pass has been heavily guarded, and people are surging. The scouts of the Tatar cavalry, the scouts of the white-clothed army, were closely monitored in the vicinity. Subsequently, the main forces of both sides saw it one after another, and each of them took up their own positions. If someone who doesn't know the inside story sees it, they think that a large-scale battle is about to break out again.

When Xu Xingxia came to Zhenyuan Pass, Chi Hu was ready to change the hostages. He sat on horseback and looked up at the Gobi Desert to the north, where he could only see dense Tatar cavalry. In order to show his strength, or to hide his inner uneasiness, or to be unwilling to fail last time. This time, Sobud brought two thousand Tatar cavalry with him, and he was eyeing the white-clothed army. Those Tatar cavalrymen also specially wiped their clothes and armor to shine, and they didn't look so black anymore.

To the south, there are heavily armed and white-clad troops. On such an important occasion, in addition to the two squads guarding Zhenshuo Fort and Weizhen Fort, as well as the Eagle Cavalry Army that were scattered to fight, the other white-clothed army troops all appeared at Zhenyuan Pass. The tank battalion and artillery battalion, which were the main forces of the battle, sat in the center of the barracks early in the morning. The thousand-man team of the two Tartars, if they forcibly attacked, would definitely have to suffer a little.

At noon, Sobud, as the representative of the Kylgin tribe, and Chi Hu, as the representative of the white-clothed army, each waved the red flag in their hands and began to exchange hostages. According to the pre-regulations, first of all, the Tatars released 10,000 Han slaves, then the white-clothed army released Gugrad, and finally the Tatars released the remaining 13,000 slaves.

Under the escort of the Tatar cavalry, a large number of Han slaves, from the clutches of the Tatars, lined up in a long line and walked towards the side of the white-clothed army. On the side of the white-clothed army, someone was responsible for counting the number of people and registering various information. At the same time, it is simple to identify whether there is a tartar mixed in it. There were tens of thousands of Han slaves, which was a little too much. When they appeared on the Gobi Desert, it felt like a brown tide with no end in sight.

These Han slaves, all in ragged clothes, disheveled, tired, haggard, and scarred, looked very difficult when walking. Some had their limbs and arms cut off, some had their tongues cut off by Tartars, some had their ears cut off by Tartars, some had their eyes gouged out by Tartars, and some had their noses cut off, leaving only two black holes in their nostrils. One can imagine what kind of abuse they suffered from the Tartars.

More slaves, limbs intact and no other external injuries to their bodies, seemed to be fine. However, when you come into contact with their gaze, you will find that their gaze is so numb, so dead, so desperate, as if everything in this world can no longer arouse any interest in them. Their hearts are dead, this is Xu Xingxia's first feeling. They have experienced so many tragic things on the side of the Tartars that their hearts have long been closed, and there is no joy or sorrow.

According to the information fed back by Chi Hu, among these miserable slaves, some of them have been on the Tartar side for more than 30 years. In other words, they have been abused for thirty years. Such a long time is enough to make any person insensitive. It's as if they've been frozen for thirty years, and they don't know how long they want to thaw. Thankfully, they are finally back and don't have to be frozen.

The Han Chinese slaves who were exchanged were all men. As for the women, none were seen. This is definitely not Xu Xingxia's preference for sons, and he felt that women did not have the strength to work, so he did not ask the Tartars. It's not that the Tartars are unwilling to hand over those women. In fact, there is a very taboo topic here, that is, how they will be settled after they come back. What about their children?

The women who were robbed by the Tartars were basically young and beautiful. After they were taken away, they all became the playthings of the Tartars, and became the tools of the Tartars to vent their animal desires. In case those women are pregnant with Tartar, after they come back, what to do with it, even Xu Xingxia doesn't know. Fortunately, they themselves are okay, at most they can find a place similar to the Eagle Nest Peak to hide, let them do some secret work, and basically get out of contact with the outside world.

However, their children are a very serious problem. Children who have already been born, at most, remain on the side of the Tartars. If a new child is born, it will definitely be stoned to death by the angry soldiers. Death by starvation is a small matter, and a loss of festival is a big matter, this secular concept, Xu Xingxia has no ability to change it for the time being. In all the historical classics, there seems to be no treatment model for Han-Hu mixed-race children, and he can't always use the national unity model of later generations to deal with it, and he will definitely be scolded to death. The national hatred in these years is definitely not a joke.

Fortunately, in general, their number is not very large, it is estimated that there are less than 1,000 people. In the initial stage of the hostage exchange, Xu Xingxia had to ignore this matter for the time being. When the right opportunity arises, bring them back, if they want to come back. For this group, it is really difficult to deal with it without clear instructions from people at the level of the trilateral governors. Of course, it would be better if the imperial court came forward.

It is precisely because all aspects of this group are very taboo that Chi Hu and other people involved in the negotiations have subconsciously avoided this very sensitive topic. Their considerations, of course, are not as far-reaching as Xu Xingxia. They simply felt that the women who had been defiled should not come back. Even if they come back, their lives will be miserable.

After a full hour, tens of thousands of Han slaves returned to the arms of the white-clothed army. Due to the change of fate, it was so sudden, most of the slaves, basically did not react, they looked around them in a daze, feeling that all this was so strange. They saw the soldiers of the white-clothed army, the fluttering golden dragon dancing sword flag, and Xu Xingxia as the supreme commander. However, everything in front of them was unfamiliar to them. All this, and their vague memories, is completely different.

Only a very small number of slaves kept pinching their thighs or their arms to determine whether they were dreaming or not. In the end, they bared their teeth in pain, convinced that they were not dreaming. They were indeed freed from the clutches of the Tartars and returned to the arms of the Ming Dynasty. However, even so, they still couldn't help believing that what was in front of them was real. They still couldn't believe it, they just like that, and easily returned to Da Ming's arms. It all seemed to come too easily.

When they were first taken captive, they didn't know how many times they had fantasized about when they would be able to come back. They dream so much that some people have strong hallucinations and become insane. Many people even tried to escape quietly and fled back to Ningxia Town. However, what awaited them was a frenzied pursuit of the Tartar cavalry. In the vast steppes, deserts, and the Great Gobi Desert, they are no match for the Tartars at all. As long as they are caught up by the Tartar cavalry, what awaits them is bound to be the fate of being tortured and killed.

There are many people who have been tortured and killed, and their hearts have gradually become numb. No one else expects to have a chance to go back. Some desperate people simply ended their lives on their own, so as not to continue to suffer endless torment. The rest of the living closed their hearts, and the walking corpses, barely survived under the butcher's knives of the Tartars. They only have the simplest idea, which is to live one day at a time. Suddenly, one day, they were actually put back by the Tartar on their own initiative, such a strong contrast, they really couldn't accept it.

According to the previous agreement, after the Tartars released tens of thousands of Han slaves, the White Clothes Army also released Gugrad. For this agreement, Xu Xingxia has no intention of violating it. We Han people are about credibility, as long as Tartar does not breach the contract, he will naturally not breach the contract. Soon, Gugele was loosened from the rope and brought to Xu Xingxia.

"Xu Xingxia, I'll be back." Gugler said smugly.

"If you dare to come back again, I will dare to arrest you again." Xu Xingxia said lightly.

"You!" Gugler gritted his teeth hard. He wanted to say something, but he didn't. No way, his skin is not thick enough. In front of Xu Xingxia, he couldn't say the words of the bickering scene at all. He couldn't even defeat Chi Hu, let alone Xu Xingxia. That's a perverted existence that can defeat Mo Yuegen!

However, Gugrad was definitely not convinced. was captured alive by the white-clothed army, which was the biggest stain on his life. He was also a high-minded and arrogant person, where could he stand such a failure? If he had died on the spot, it might have been better. But he didn't die, and was captured alive. This face is a big shame. In any case, he will wash away this stain. Although, even he felt that it was a bit difficult to achieve this goal.

In the last encounter, the number of white-clothed troops was only five or six hundred. Today, however, there are thousands of people. It's only been a long time, it's been less than two months! The strength of the white-clothed army has doubled! Such a rate of growth made Gugler very desperate. The population base of the Han people is really terrifying. As long as Xu Xingxia is willing, it is definitely not a dream to pull up an army of 100,000 in three or five years. Relatively speaking, the Hellergin tribe is not worthy of Xu Xingxia's shoes! People are better than people, it's really infuriating!

(To be continued)