By early the next morning, Brother Xun had returned to the camp. The militia members sharing his tent immediately crowded around him, so he hurriedly led them to a secluded corner.
"Brother Xun, how did it go? How did it go? Did the Han Tribe agree to our terms?" someone asked nervously at once. After all, this concerned their lives, livelihoods, and future, so everyone was taking it extremely seriously.
"They agreed." Brother Xun first nodded, giving everyone a dose of reassurance, and only then began explaining the situation in detail.
"The Han Tribe said they hadn't known what kind of soldiers we were before. They had thought we were all the same and treated us like the troops from before. Now that they know we're conscripted militia, they've decided to distinguish us from those regular soldiers.
"The Han Tribe said that as long as we cooperate in rounding up those clan soldiers and Grassland Soldiers, we won't have to perform labor service. After the war, we'll even receive Han Tribe household registration and enjoy the same treatment as Han Tribe commoners. Besides, as long as we cooperate, they can take us to Clear Spring Valley to reclaim our families and grain."
"So that's how it was. I knew the Han Tribe usually wasn't like this. Why would they make us serve five years of labor? It turns out they didn't know we were militia." One man immediately let out a sigh of relief and laughed in relaxation.
"But how are we supposed to help the Han Tribe round up those clan soldiers and Grassland Soldiers? We probably can't beat them either, can we? What if we fail to stop them when the time comes?" someone else asked worriedly.
"Everyone, rest assured. Elder Jin will be directing and deploying everything