Chapter 232 Looking eastward at my hometown, tears are still flowing

"Sir, the fighting opportunity is fleeting. I am willing to lead the Gansu Army to pursue Yakub Beg."

Seeing Dong Fuxiang asking for battle, Shao Quanzhong turned his attention to the two chiefs of staff.

Emery thought for a moment, "If we don't send in Nie Shicheng's troops, the food we have captured will be enough with only one division and one brigade. But if we pursue them to Korla, our supply line will be further extended. The steam tractors we brought won't be enough, and we may have to use horses to assist, which will reduce the transportation speed and increase the transportation cost."

Grant did not hesitate. "Quickly occupy the fortress in front and Toksun. Turpan will become an isolated city. We should at least advance to Toksun immediately. As for whether to pursue Yakub Beg to Korla, we have to wait and see the battlefield situation at that time."

Shao Quanzhong closed his eyes and thought for a moment, "Chase! If we don't have enough steam tractors, won't we fight? Dong Fuxiang, you will be the vanguard, lightly equipped and quickly chase Yakub Beg. I will lead the Guards Brigade with artillery, rapid-fire cannons, and machine gun units to reinforce you. If Yakub Beg keeps running away, chase him and take advantage of him. If he turns around to fight you in the field, hold him back and wait for my fire support to arrive."

The team, which had just rested in Tashkurgan for eight days, set out immediately. The Gansu Army went ahead with light equipment. Shao Quanzhong left a battalion to guard Tashkurgan, and followed closely behind with the remaining three battalions of the Guards Brigade, four heavy artillery companies, two machine gun companies, and two rapid-fire artillery companies, and attacked in the direction of Toksun.

Since Yakub Beg fled with 20,000 main forces, the few Kokand officers could no longer suppress the escape of the Uighur vassal soldiers in southern Xinjiang. The small fortresses between Dabancheng, Toksun and Turpan were abandoned, and the bandits fled south in groups.

These fleeing bandits were shocked to find that the Gansu Army led by Dong Fuxiang was chasing them at a high speed, and then passed by them, neither occupying the small fortress nor attacking their remaining troops, but heading straight for Toksun.

The Huai Army really didn't attack us. The bandits felt relieved and ran even faster.

On May 20, the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign, the vanguard cavalry of the Gansu Army arrived at the empty city of Toksun. Without stopping, they passed through the city and headed south to pursue Yakub Beg.

The rear infantry arrived half a day later, leaving one battalion to guard the city and the remaining three battalions to catch up with the cavalry.

Behind them, the Third Battalion of the Guards Brigade led by Shao Quanzhong, with baggage, food, and fire support units, was getting closer to Toksun.

Along the way, the engineers continuously blew up the fortresses abandoned by the Uighur men and cleared away obstacles.

The Huai Army quickly broke through the Toksun defense line, and the troops formed a line. The vanguard Gansu cavalry chased after Yakub Beg's army.

…………

Yining, the capital of Ili Province, on the south bank of the Ili River, Xibeying.

There lived more than 10,000 Xibe people who were relocated here by the Qing government to guard the border. Together with their neighboring Suolun Camp, they formed an important force of the Qing army in Yili Province.

The five thousand soldiers of the Xibe Camp and the Solon Camp fought in the south and the north of Yili Province, suppressed the Zhang Geer rebels, fought in the Battle of Yita against the Russians, and shed blood and sacrificed their lives to defend China's western border. They are all true warriors worthy of respect.

Several elderly Xibe people held the pipes that their ancestors brought from the Baishan and Heishui regions, and looked towards the east with sad faces. Turbid tears kept flowing from the corners of their eyes, and the water of the Ili River in the distance was blurred in their tears.

Now, the Xibe Camp and the Solon Camp have only 4,000 people in total, and they have to pretend to be friendly with the bandits.

After the rebellion broke out, they continued to fight the bandits, which consumed a lot of resources.

The bandits were powerful, with their numbers more than nine times that of the Eight Banners and Green Camp troops, and they also had the support of weapons from the Russians. Ningyuan City was captured, and the Ili General Mingxu set fire to the gunpowder depot, and his entire family died along with the bandits who rushed into the city.

The three cities of Ningyuan, Huiyuan and Xichun in Yining on the north bank of the Ili River were massacred by the bandits due to their fierce resistance. Only 1,600 people were left among tens of thousands of people, and even the Han people who farmed the land were not spared.

It is not convenient to go into details, but I will just mention a saying that has been passed down from generation to generation: "Do you remember the color of the Ili River?"

The Xibe and Suolun camps held the Niulu Tucheng on the south bank of the Ili River and refused to surrender. Tens of thousands of bandits besieged the city for many days but failed to capture it. Internal factional conflicts broke out and infighting began.

The bandit leader in Ili, Aliham Khan of the pseudo "Ili Sultan Khanate", was unable to suppress the internal conflicts and could no longer continue the siege, so he sent people to recruit the Xibe and Solon camps, promising them "self-governance like Xu Xuegong's militia" and that they would not have to disband as long as they performed labor.

The Xibe and Solon camps were besieged for many days, with food and fodder cut off. Seeing their families were about to starve to death, they had no choice but to become a militia organization that superficially obeyed the pseudo-Khan.

We fought hard to maintain our own system, and we are waiting for the arrival of the imperial army to continue to work for the Qing Dynasty. We must not let the bandits occupy this rich Ili River Valley for a long time.

There was a little joy in the Xibe camp today as the son of the clan leader, Kalmanga, got married and a banquet was held.

"Aliham Khan has arrived!"

Alihamu recognized Tuodelin of Dihua as his boss, and he had 10,000 soldiers and occupied Yili. Now, he came to attend the wedding and appease the semi-independent "subordinate" of Xibeying.

At the banquet, Kharmanga carefully received the pseudo Khan.

They could neither agree to help the bandits in the war nor anger the bandit leader and let the villagers be massacred by the bandits. Whenever the pseudo-Khan mentioned the issue of sending troops to the Xibe camp, they would change the subject and invite the Khan to eat some food and drink some "grape juice".

The banquet was held in a test between the two sides, and Alihamu did not dare to over-press the Xibe camp. Although the rebels were powerful, they were internally divided, and none of his generals were willing to organize another siege on the two tough thorns of the Xibe camp and the Suolun camp.

Alihamu's eyes suddenly lit up. A Xibe woman who came to pour him "grape juice" attracted his attention.

"This woman is very beautiful. What's her name? I want her."

Kharmanga hurriedly smiled and said, "No, Khan, Suhua is already married."

A strong man beside Kalmanga glared at the pseudo-Khan and pulled Suhua behind him.

The old perverted fake Khan waved his hand and said, "Even if they are married, we can still get divorced. I don't mind that she has been married before. We will become relatives in the future, and I will definitely treat the Xibe camp well. Why don't you give me face?"

Suhua's husband put his hand on the handle of his sword, furious, but was held down by Kaermanga, "Khan, this matter - let's take a long-term view..."

The pseudo-Khan stood up and said, "This Khan is going to take Suhua away today. What's going on? Is the Xibe Camp going to rebel?"

The Xibe soldiers present all had angry looks on their faces and the situation was tense.

Dozens of guards gathered behind the pseudo-Khan. Three thousand guards were outside the Xibe camp. He was very confident and looked at Suhua with lustful eyes. "This Khan grants you the sutra name 'Buweihaliqiaapak'. Come with me, will you?"

"Report!"

A bandit messenger arrived on a fast horse and ran straight into the wedding banquet.

"Report to the Khan, the Huai Army is attacking Dihua. We are facing the crisis of extinction. King Tuodelin requests you to send troops immediately to reinforce Dihua."

(End of this chapter)

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