The main force of the Cossacks from Lake Balkhash came out in full force and captured eighteen cities including Kapchagai in one night. Thirty-six Coulomb soldiers would rather die than surrender and burned the entire army's forage yard.
The news spread throughout the Ili Valley as quickly as it had wings.
There are a total of twenty-seven coulombs here in the Ili Valley, but at present, there are only more than three hundred old, weak, sick and disabled people. The rest of them were killed in the riots of Aguba, and the Qing Dynasty has not added new sources of troops until now.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to leave only twenty-seven veterans in Kapchagai. Most of the three hundred would be placed in Huiyuan City. The remaining veterans could only be a symbol of the country's image in other military stations. .
It is impossible to take revenge with such strength, but the Rakshasa ghost also underestimated the ambition of these Chinese people. A fire in Kapchagai completely ignited the anger in the hearts of these veterans.
We are very old, we are also very weak, we don’t even have a firecracker in our hands!
But we will not betray our ancestors. Hu Laosan and others can die for the country, so what should we be reluctant to part with!
All the Kulun military stations who received the news began to take action. They packed the last remaining tax money on the camel horse team and entrusted reliable herdsmen and caravans to send it to Tacheng.
General Yili is in Tacheng. Although there are many mountains and the road ahead is difficult and dangerous, no matter how difficult it is, these military resources cannot be left to the Rakshasa ghost.
Take away everything that can be taken away, and burn everything that cannot be taken away!
Before the Tsarist Russians arrived, these veterans burned the winter fodder and grain, filled wells and even dug holes to hide the most precious household registers.
From ancient times to the present, household registers have been an important tool for a political power to govern a place. It is even a symbol of legitimacy, and is even more important than the official seal.
Having a household registration register proves that you have the ability to go deep into the grassroots. Even after the war, you can clearly distinguish the ownership of the houses and pastures on this land.
This is a very critical criterion for maintaining order in society, and it is also an important evidence that all people are convinced of!
With the household registration register, the administrative power can go deeper into the people. Such good treasures have been accumulated by these local officials for decades, and they have already gained a very high reputation among herdsmen.
Many records can be traced back to the Qianlong period. At this time, if herders had any property rights disputes, they would often look for their own evidence from the household registration books.
Moreover, few nomads record their own genealogy, and they do not remember things past three generations or more, but there are still some records in the household register.
There is a conflict between two herdsmen's families. Maybe with the household registration, we will suddenly realize that we were one family five generations ago!
This kind of documentation has indeed reduced a lot of conflicts and is indeed a powerful tool for administrative management!
Since it is a treasure, don’t keep it for Rakshasa ghosts, bury it and wait until Master Wang comes back to see the light of day again in the future!
Those burial sites were also sent to Tacheng along with the taxes!
The entire Ili Valley was in chaos, and almost every town was on fire. Either Rakshasa ghosts were killing people and robbing people, or local people were burning property.
The burning near the 27th Cullen Military Station was even more severe. The retreating veterans basically destroyed everything, not even a chicken feather was left for the Rakshasa ghost.
Everyone began to flee to the east with their families. People knew that the Ili Valley could not guard against these bandits. They could only move towards the northern Xinjiang and risk their lives through the Alashan Pass in winter.
It is really impossible to describe this tragic escape. In the eyes of the expedition team, this was already a miserable scene like hell!
Many elderly people and children fell to the ground halfway and could not get up again. During the day, the temperature dropped to more than ten degrees below zero, and at night the temperature dropped directly to minus 20 or 30 degrees.
The weak people were frozen to death. At the beginning, the expedition team still had the heart to save these people, but this time they lost two-thirds of the supplies they had during the escape, and the remaining supplies were no longer enough for themselves.
We could only harden our hearts and turn a blind eye, and everyone in the expedition shed tears as they watched one of the starving people freeze to death!
"This damn Rakshasa ghost, why did you choose winter to kill him? He doesn't give anyone a way to survive, and he can't even escape..."
"Stop scolding, save some energy for revenge later! They just want to take advantage of this moment to attack, they just want to capture a large number of people as their slaves!"
The fleeing team did not see the densely populated city until they arrived near Huiyuan City. The Han garrison had already received the news, and they finally opened the city gate to rescue people.
But everyone knows that Huiyuan City is just the last supply point to cross the Alashan Pass. Time is running out and surrounded by tens of thousands of Cossacks, Huiyuan City will fall sooner or later.
"Let's go, let's go... Don't stay, everyone. Two naan per adult, one child, a handful of salt... Let's go quickly..."
The veterans guarding the city urged the refugees to flee north as quickly as possible. "Folks, hurry up and flee to northern Xinjiang. Sooner or later you won't be able to defend this place. Don't linger... grab the food and leave!"
"This is gambling on life! If you are lucky enough to survive, you will be lucky enough to be rewarded here. God accepts people, accepts people... Oops! Foreign devils... Some foreign devils are here, as well as our own. people!"
The veterans in Huiyuan City immediately surrounded the expedition team, especially Guan Lu and Duoluo. When they knew that this was a relative from the Central Plains or someone close to the emperor, all the veterans knelt down and gave Long live the greetings.
Guan Lu and Duo Luo pulled one up and fell down again, and there were cries everywhere outside Huiyuan City.
"Finally, Long live the Lord is still thinking of us, and finally the relatives in the Central Plains are still thinking of us... Wuwuwu..."
"We can't stay, we can't stay here... Bring out all our food, dried meat, dried milk, naan... let the adults get on their way!"
"Hold a few more bundles of old sheepskins in the warehouse. This can save your life when crossing the mountain pass!"
"Child, listen to me... When crossing a snow-capped mountain, you would rather freeze to death or be exhausted than rest. Don't sleep. You really can't stand it anymore. Even if you stab yourself with an awl, you have to cross the mountain awake..."
"This is good-quality mutton fat. You should carry it with you. If you can't bear the cold, take a bite... Don't be afraid of the smell. This is cooked oil that has been frozen and solidified. Take a bite to keep out the cold..."
The veterans caressed the clothes of their relatives as if they were looking after their own children, "I wish I could keep you overnight and treat you to drinks... I haven't seen the folks from the Central Plains in ten years..."
"No, you can't stay... The Rakshasa ghost will be here soon, you should leave quickly... When you see the emperor and the people from your hometown in the Central Plains when you come back, remember to say something and say that everything is fine with us here..."
The expedition team was almost blown away. Guan Lu and Doluo knew very well that their lives were paid for by these Cullen veterans, who used their lives to slow down the enemy.
Looking at the veterans behind them who were looking northward, everyone in the Manchu Guard felt as uncomfortable as grass growing in their hearts, and tears could not stop flowing down their faces.
Guan Lu suddenly turned around and galloped forward a few steps. He jumped off his horse and faced the veterans, then knelt down towards the Ili River Valley.
"Uncles and gentlemen... I kowtow to you... I kowtow to you on behalf of all the people of the Central Plains..."
Doro also rushed over with red eyes, knelt on the big rock and kowtowed to the ice, "I kowtow to you on behalf of those useless Manchus in Sijiu City..."
"We don't know! Only now do I know that there is no peaceful life in the world... Isn't there someone who carries the burden for us?"
"Let's mess around! I was a bastard in the first half of my life..."
