Chapter 252: Submission
Chapter 252: Submission
On the first day of February in the sixth year of the Tongzhi reign, at the pass of the Tianshan Gorge in Kokand Province.
The main force of the Western Expedition of 61,500 troops was fully equipped and marched forward, constantly breaking through the mountain pass and entering the rich Fergana Basin. The team was endless.
This ancient road, which Dong Fuxiang's Gansu advance division had to pass through with great difficulty half a year ago, is now four meters wide and has become a sunny road.
Dong Fuxiang and Karis, commanders of the advance division, welcomed Shao Quanzhong at the mountain pass. "Sir, we have fulfilled our mission. After half a year of construction, the Tianshan Gorge can finally allow the army to pass smoothly."
"Okay, Xingwu, this is a great achievement. When you report your military exploits—"
"Sir, I dare not take credit for other people's work. It was not me who organized the construction, but Ma Yue, the commander of the Uighur Battalion brought by Karis to join the Gansu Army. This guy is ruthless and showed no mercy to the slaves during the winter rush work. The total loss of the widening project is -"
"I am not interested in how many slaves were lost. They are all scums who deserve to die. Not a single one of them will be wronged if they are all executed... Call that Ma Yue over so I can take a look."
A tall fat man followed Dong Fuxiang's personal soldiers and ran over. When he saw Shao Quanzhong, he stood at attention and said, "Ma Yue, the battalion commander of the 12th Gansu Cavalry Battalion, greets you, commander."
Shao Quanzhong took a look and saw that Ma Yue had broad shoulders and a thick back, a face full of flesh, and fierce eyes. He looked like a real ruthless man, a bit like the style of his former uneducated bandit poet subordinate.
"Yes, repairing the Tianshan Gorge in time is the first achievement of our army in the Central Asian war. It is more important than fighting and killing the enemy. Your contribution will be indispensable at that time."
"Report to the commander, the Ma family has been granted the title of Ahun since the Qianlong period. We have received the grace of the country for generations and should be loyal subjects of the Qing Dynasty and serve the Qing Dynasty with all our heart and soul."
"Okay, okay, loyal minister."
Shao Quanzhong laughed dryly and said a few words of encouragement, then he sighed when he saw Ma Yuele walk away happily.
After arriving in Yili Province, the subordinates I recruited were not my own, but loyal to the Qing Dynasty. How should I arrange for them after the war? I have to think about it carefully.
The army continued to pass through the canyon, cavalry, dragoons, camel light field artillery, followed by siege artillery towed by steam tractors, and behind them -
Dong Fuxiang's eyes widened, "Sir, what is that?"
Shao Quanzhong smiled proudly, "That's the newly formed Song Qing Armored Brigade."
"I didn't expect that within half a year, our Huai Army would have a new type of soldier."
"Not only new soldiers, but also new tactics have been developed. We need to test them in the battle with the Russians. Your Gansu Army has never practiced together, so you need to make up for it. Xingwu, you have already made the first contribution in the Western Expedition. When it comes to fighting against the main force of the Russians, let the three main divisions contribute more."
"Report, news from the rear."
Shao Quanzhong took it and looked at the report sent by Xu Xuegong, and smiled casually.
"The Russians didn't want to keep Bai Yanhu around for nothing, so they sent his men to harass Ili Province in small groups, killing anyone they saw and robbing anything they saw. As a result - hahahaha, Bai Yanhu didn't dare to go to Kashgar where the Huai Army was stationed, and went to Ili to rob. He was beaten by the Han People's Corps and couldn't be found in the north. All of his 1,000 loyal men were lost - he asked for it."
The territories that the Huai Army passed through were all managed like an iron barrel. Bai Yanhu charged forward on his own and deserved to lose all his capital.
Bai Yanhu has lost all his subordinates and is now alone in exile in Lucia, so he is no longer a concern.
"Bai Yanhu is a clown, don't even think about him. Let's go to Kokand City, a big battle is about to start." Dust rose on the western road, and a camel caravan of two hundred people came eastward in the opposite direction of the main army.
The leader of the camel caravan rode alone and saw Shao Quanzhong and other generals from afar. He dismounted fifty steps away from Shao Quanzhong, ran quickly to Shao Quanzhong's horse, and knelt down, "Aha, Abd Ahad of the Bukhara Khanate, pays respect to the Prime Minister of the upper state."
Aha is the name for the Khan's successor. It seems that this young man is a prince of the Bukhara Khanate.
Shao Quanzhong waved his hand, "You are a prince, and I am just an earl. You don't have to bow to me. What's the difference between a lower country and a higher country? Your Bukhara Khanate has no vassal relationship with my Qing Dynasty. It's not appropriate to address me like that."
"Yes, yes. During the Qianlong period, we were loyal vassals of the Qing Dynasty. We were unable to pay tribute because of the obstruction of the Kokand people. Now that Kokand has annexed the country, we can finally send envoys to express our admiration for our country. My father, the Khan, specially sent me to the capital to pay homage. This is the list of our tribute. Please have a look at it, Lord Zhongcheng."
Ahad knelt down and held up the gift list. Hu Liuniang looked back at Shao Quanzhong, and seeing that he did not comment, she went over to take it and handed it to Shao Quanzhong.
Shao Quanzhong glanced at it casually. Oh wow, nine top-quality Akhal-Teke horses, nine white camels, nine white cows, two hundred top-quality lapis lazuli stones, twenty camels of gold and silver products, and twenty camels of top-quality carpets...
Not only was there the traditional nomadic tribute of the "Nine White Ceremony", but the tribute was also affordable and worth hundreds of thousands of silver coins. The nine Ferghana horses were national treasures that could not be bought even if one had money.
Tributes from vassal states have always been symbolic, and the rewards in return are much higher than the value of the tribute items. Judging from the truth of Bukhara's tribute, this tribute was definitely a loss.
Ahad waved his hand, and his subordinates behind him led three tall and majestic war horses. "These three Ferghana horses are presented to you, Lord Zhongcheng. I hope you will accept them."
Akhal-Teke horses are a unique treasure of the Bukhara Khanate. The top-grade Akhal-Teke horses specially bred are the legendary Ferghana horses. They are priceless treasures from the moment they are bred. Some horses were sent to China as state gifts in later generations. There is no market for them in the international market. The only Ferghana horse that was traded seems to have sold for 60 million Chinese yuan, and the discarded inferior ones were sold for 8 million yuan...
"I feel so embarrassed to accept your gifts for no reason."
"How can it be for no reason? This is what a vassal state should do. This is our formal application to the Qing Dynasty for vassalage, and it has my father Khan's personal seal and monogram. We implore you to station troops in Bukhara and Samarkand, and we are willing to provide sufficient food and fodder for the army."
"Really? Then I will accept it without hesitation. You can continue to go to the capital to pay homage. Not bad, not bad. You are really a good vassal of my Qing Dynasty."
"My father Khan is looking forward to the imperial army coming to Bukhara and Samarkand as soon as possible to express our vassal state's sincere love for the suzerain state."
Shao Quanzhong held back his laughter and said, "Okay, okay, I'll consider it."
Look at Ahad leading the pilgrims eastward, looking back every few steps. Well, the Huai Army is still pouring out of the mountain pass, and the pilgrims may have to wait in line at the mountain pass for several days.
However, when Ahad saw the twenty-one companies of siege artillery pulled by steam tractors, he calmed down. There was no rush to go to the capital. The arrival of the Qing army was the most important thing.
Dong Fuxiang came over and said, "Sir, the Cossacks have already reached Jizzakh. The medieval cavalry of Bukhara can't even beat the Cossacks. Once the Russian regular army arrives, Samarkand and Bukhara will fall. It's only a matter of time before the Bukhara Khanate is destroyed. It seems that they are finally getting anxious. They are really trying to make things worse. What have they been doing before?"
Shao Quanzhong laughed loudly, "It's not too late to declare yourself a vassal now. They have already admitted their defeat and declared themselves a vassal of the Qing Dynasty, so we can't humiliate them too much. Let's go, we should fulfill our obligations as the suzerain state."
"Report! Douglas Forsyth, the special envoy of the British Empire's Governor-General of India, and Murad, the special envoy of the Ottoman Empire, have jointly requested an audience."
Hmm? Why did the British Governor of India send someone here? And what about Murad?
(End of this chapter)