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According to what Russia later said, all the indigenous people in the Outer Xing'an Mountains and the areas north of them were called "Yakuts".

Yakuts, Yakutsk, it's obvious what's going on.

The indigenous people here actually call themselves "Sakha people". After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Yakutia was renamed the Sakha Republic in order to show respect for the indigenous people.

For a long time, the Sakha and the Evenki were often confused.

The first is due to the mutual influence of the customs and habits of the two ethnic groups. The second is that when the ethnic groups were divided, the Sakha people in China were all classified as Evenki, while the Evenki in the Soviet Union were all classified as Yakuts ( Sakha people).

By the way, the word "Tungus" was the earliest name given to the Evenki people by the Sakha people...

According to modern scientific methods, the genetic upstream of the Sakha people was found in the tombs of the Mongolian Plateau during the Xiongnu period.

It shows that the ancestors of the Sakha people once lived on the Mongolian Plateau during the Han Dynasty.

Some scholars speculate that their distant ancestors should be Gaoche people. According to different migration routes, they can also be called Dingling, Tiele and Chile. Later, they were integrated into the Uighur Khanate, so some experts say that the Sakha people and the Uyghurs belong to the same origin but different streams.

The language of the Sakha people belongs to the Turkic language family.

More than two hundred years ago, they settled in the Lake Baikal region and were driven to extremely cold places by the Buryat Mongols.

So don't think that they are primitive people, others have mastered the iron smelting technology!

At this moment, a female Saha shaman stepped out of the deer cart running at the front. She wore a thick fur coat with animal skin strips all over her body, and a strange-looking hat with several colorful feathers stuck on it.

Her name was Vasya Britotian, and she drew her sharp blade and pointed it at the castle: "Go!"

The reindeer pulled a sleigh and ran straight to the outside of the city. A soldier shouted: "We are here to ransom the hostages, let them out quickly!"

Peng Chunlin asked: "What did they say? Can you understand?"

Khabarov translates: "The ransom of hostages."

The Sakha people celebrate the New Year in the summer, and those Cossack bandits also like to go boating around in the summer. Once the Saha tribe was discovered, they would hide during the day and conduct raids at night, not only stealing furs and food, but also capturing important tribe members as hostages.

Peng Chunlin said: "Bring out all the hostages and let them identify them."

The Sakha warrior responsible for shouting was called Dawa, which means "impossible mountain". When he saw the castle gate open, he immediately grabbed his weapon and was ready to fight at any time.

Khabarov walked at the front and said, "Come here and identify it."

Dawa saw his own clansman at a glance, the only son of the female shaman. Once the female shaman dies, her son, who has been practicing for three years, will inherit the position of shaman and protect the tribe from infringement.

Peng Chunlin said: "Let this person go."

The hostages were brought to Dawa, who was stunned. According to the normal process, shouldn't someone go to the shaman to inspect the goods, and the two parties should hand over the furs with one hand and exchange the hostages with the other?

Khabarov said: "The hateful Rakshasa bandits have been driven away by the great Chinese. From now on, no one will bully you anymore, and the Chinese will be your protectors. This is a gift prepared by the Chinese!"

Zhang Tingxun came forward holding a small jar of salt in his hand.

Dawa subconsciously took it, dipped his fingers in salt and tasted it, it was like drinking fine wine.

Get table salt here, either by boiling pool salt or digging for rock salt. No matter which one it is, it is full of impurities and tastes bitter. The table salt in front of me was as white as snow and had no peculiar smell.

Dawa did not dare to neglect, and drove the sled back with the hostages.

He held the salt shaker, pointed at the castle and talked for a while, already dancing with joy.

The female shaman Vasya Britotian looked at the Datong army curiously: "The Chinese drove away the Rakshasa bandits. When they released the hostages, not only did they not ask for their furs, but they also gave us snow salt as a gift?"

"Yes," Dawa said happily, "Chinese people are good people, not bad guys like Rakshasa bandits."

Vasya Britotian asked her son again: "Do you know what happened?"

His son's name was Kunde, and he replied: "I was captured here by Rakshasa bandits and locked up in a dark room with hostages from other tribes. I could only eat a small bowl of something called barley porridge every day. One day , the sound of artillery was heard outside, and the Rakshasa bandit was killed. The Chinese did not imprison me anymore, and asked me to help them repair the castle, and I could barely eat enough every day."

"Come with me," said Vasya Britotian.

The sleigh team all rushed to the castle. The female shaman got off the car and stepped on the snow, crossing her arms in front of her chest: "My name is Vasya Britotian. I would like to thank the Chinese friends for saving my son and giving him to me." Our precious snow salt.”

After Khabarov translated, Peng Chunlin smiled and said: "My name is Peng Chunlin, and I am the chief here. Rakshasa bandits are also enemies of China. I hope we can be friends."

Vasya Britotian took off the dagger from her waist, held it in both hands and said, "You are already friends of the Sun Division, please accept this dagger."

Peng Chunlin said: "Friends, please come to the castle to rest. We will provide abundant food. In the future, we can trade. You exchange furs, and we exchange cloth and salt. If you are willing to settle down, you can also live near the castle. I I’ll teach you how to grow food.”

Vasya Britotian hesitated slightly and looked at the gun in the hands of the Datong Army.

She felt that there should be no danger. If the Datong Army took action immediately, she would not be able to avoid this devilish weapon.

Different Saha tribes have different totem beliefs. The sun, moon, stars, wind, rain, thunder and lightning, birds, bears, wolves and pigs... can all be used as totems.

The tribe in front of us uses the sun as its totem, and is known to the outside world as the Sun-Chasing Tribe and the Sun-Zhui Tribe.

They were invited into the castle, and not only were they given barley, potatoes, and smoked fish as food, but they were even given a jar of bad wine. The bad wine belongs to the Cossack collection and is extremely rare. It is estimated to come from the Lake Baikal region.

The female shaman was so impressed by the warm hospitality that she immediately ordered food to be fetched from the sled.

It was frozen deer blood and yogurt, and some dried venison.

"I would like to toast the shaman." Peng Chunlin said.

Vasya Britotian was very generous. She drank the glass and said: "The sun bless our Chinese friends!"

Under Khabarov's translation, the two sides began to communicate enthusiastically.

The female shaman probably had not drunk much, but she blushed after a few drinks. She asked curiously: "I know that there are Tungus people (Solun tribe) in the south. Where do our Chinese friends come from?"

Peng Chunlin said: "We are from further south, and the Sauron tribes have surrendered to His Majesty the Emperor of China. His Majesty the Emperor of China, ordered us to go north, first help the Sauron tribe drive away the Rakshasa ghosts, and then come here to help you drive away the Rakshasa ghosts. .”

The Sauron tribe is the collective name for the Daur, Oroqen, and Ewenki tribes.

Vasya Brito could not imagine where it was further south. She had never heard of China.

Peng Chunlin took the opportunity to say: "Next summer, soldiers will send food. At that time, if the shaman is willing, he can send his tribe members to go to China on the ship."

Vasya Britotian nodded and said: "I will."

The female shaman felt that China should be a very large tribe, and the Chinese emperor was the leader of that tribe. The distance should be very far, at least half a year, and she was very willing to make friends with such a friendly and powerful tribe.

After chatting for a long time, the deer blood and yogurt had melted.

Vasya Britotian poured some yogurt into the hot deer blood and stirred it: "Please taste the deer blood in the sun. It can keep the body warm and you will not get sick no matter how cold the winter is."

Peng Chunlin took a sip, and his face turned green immediately. The mixture of yogurt and deer blood had a strange taste that could not be described in words.

Facing the expectant look in the female shaman's eyes, Peng Chunlin took a few sips and almost vomited out due to violent nausea.

Deer blood is a good thing, nourishing yin and yang, and warming you up in winter.

Moreover, these Sakha people belong to a semi-nomadic tribe and often cannot obtain salt smoothly, so they rely on drinking deer blood and cow blood to replenish salt.

"Ting Xun, come and try it too. This is an aphrodisiac." Peng Chunlin felt that he could not be deceived alone.

Vasya Britotian understood clearly and stopped forcing Peng Chunlin. She stood up and poured the deer blood to Zhang Tingxun herself.

Even though Zhang Tingxun grew up in an honorable family, he was just a rough guy at heart. When I first drank it, I felt a little uncomfortable, but after a few more sips, I felt good. I drank the entire bowl of deer blood.

Peng Chunlin was stunned and wondered if Zhang Tingxun had a taste problem.

Zhang Tingxun put the bowl down, Heng Xiu wiped his mouth, and burped: "It is indeed a good thing. After drinking it, your body will feel warm."

How can it be effective so quickly? Even if you drink a bowl of hot soup in winter, you will get hot.

The two parties were full of wine and food, and began to discuss business.

The Zhuri tribe brought 20 pieces of fur to redeem the hostages, mostly deer skins, but there were also a few sable skins.

The Datong Army seized supplies from the Cossacks, and there was no shortage of clothing. The cotton-padded jackets brought when sending troops could be exchanged.

A total of cotton-padded jackets worth several taels of silver were exchanged for furs worth thousands of taels of silver. Both parties were very happy. It was a win-win deal.

Peng Chunlin said: "Next summer, we will still have salt and cotton-padded jackets delivered, and we hope to continue to exchange items by then. By the way, there will also be cotton cloth and needlework. If the cotton-padded jackets are torn, they can be mended."

"Thanks to our generous Chinese friends, we will bring leathers here next year." Vasya Britotian said, looking forward to the next transaction.

It didn't snow today. Peng Chunlai wanted to show off his military power and invited the female shaman to watch the soldiers drill.

Dozens of Datong soldiers stood in the clearing cleared of snow, shouting in unison and practicing bayonet fighting.

Vasya Britotian looked at the shining bayonet and stood there thoughtfully. She knew that this weapon could shoot bullets that even the most powerful tribal warriors could not resist.

These Chinese, more powerful than the Rakshasa bandits, might be able to propose a marriage.

The Sakha people also have surnames, and people with the same surname cannot marry. Marriage between tribes is extremely common.

Now, the Zhuri tribe plans to marry with the Chinese tribe.

Vasya Britotian asked: "Is Chief Peng willing to marry the Zhuri tribe? We will marry the most beautiful girl in the tribe."

Peng Chunlin was of course willing to intermarry, but he had already accepted a woman left behind by the Cossacks. Although he said he could accept a second one, many of the soldiers here were not women yet, so he couldn't go too far.

Peng Chunlin felt bad and pointed at Zhang Tingxun who was practicing bayonet: "That is the son of a Chinese nobleman. Maybe a beautiful girl from the Sun Ministry can marry him."

Vasya Britotian actually recognized it: "Is this the warrior who drank all the deer's blood? We are very satisfied."