As the mountains get higher and higher, breathing becomes more and more difficult. Of course they don't know it's called altitude sickness, but the discomfort is inevitable.
Although by the end of the Qing Dynasty, the overall quality of the Eight Banners disciples had declined significantly. Many officials with military positions could not draw a bow, shoot an arrow or even ride a bad horse.
But Emperor Tongzhi was the king of a country after all, and the bodyguards he brought with him when traveling were all carefully selected, and they were regarded as generals picked out of a large group of naughty men.
Guan Lu and Duoluo both practiced martial arts since childhood, and even Guan Lu received careful guidance from his ancestors in the Forbidden City.
My physical fitness is very good, and some of them have also practiced internal martial arts, so they can still withstand altitude sickness.
The Gurkha mercenaries hired by the expedition team lived at a higher altitude than here. Altitude sickness was not a problem in the Tianshan Mountains, but now the big problem was this group of British people.
Gordon was able to hold on more or less as a soldier, but Samuel Baker, although experienced in expeditions, was in poor physical condition and soon couldn't walk.
Several British civil servants traveling with us also suffered from varying degrees of altitude sickness, which now has become a drag on the entire expedition!
"Chop wood, bundle sleds... drag them along!"
It's strange to say that people's potential is often forced out. These Manchus born in the pass seemed to have a sudden inspiration, and all the talent and skill points left by their ancestors were fully activated.
Ice and snow skills, this is the blood talent of the Manchu people who come from the White Mountains and Black Waters. It is the physical fitness of the ancestors of the Eight Banners who endured the harsh cold outside the Pass.
Facts have proved that all dandies are actually fake dandies, bad habits picked up by good people. Once they reach the desperate situation where no one in the world cares about them, these dandies can all work out a way out.
Not only that, they can save people!
After digging through the ice and snow and cutting small branches, these Qing palace guards quickly built two recommended snow sledges. They peeled off the bark from slightly thicker trunks and used stainless steel daggers to cut them as smooth as possible. They put them into the snow and pulled them up. So much energy left.
"Take the team members and walk... while walking and plowing the snow. We are really pigs. We have to use horses to carry so many supplies. Why not let the horses use the snow sledge!"
"Looking back, I really have to go to training outside the customs for a whole winter. The craftsmanship of our ancestors cannot be lost..."
This snow sledge really came to the rescue. The supplies were carried on horseback. The horses were often too tired to step on the snow, but after unloading the supplies and putting them on the sled, the horses immediately felt much more relaxed.
The resistance when sliding on the snow with the snow sledge is much smaller!
Samuel Baker lay down on the snow sledge with a long sigh and said, "It's my fault, I really didn't want to take a trip to Central Asia... I actually did it like a polar expedition... I have no experience!"
"Say less and save some energy to cross the mountain pass. As long as you cross the mountain pass and walk down, your illness will be much better..."
The expedition team's painful march does not know when it will end. More and more team members have fallen along the way, and more and more improvised sledges have been built.
By the time the expedition team saw Alashankou, the entire expedition team had already sat on snow sledges. Even those who didn't suffer from altitude sickness were riding on sledges and driving horses. It was a hundred times more comfortable than struggling to survive at the beginning.
"I saw the boundary stone at Alashankou! After passing the mountain pass, we will reach Northern Xinjiang. We are finally safe..."
"Fight... let's go, you can be considered as escaping..."
After passing the mountain pass, the terrain spiraled all the way down. Now the horse team ran more vigorously, and the speed became faster and faster, and there were even several rollover accidents.
It took four days and four nights to walk on the snowy mountain road through Alashan Pass. When the expedition team continued to move forward on the morning of the fifth day, several black spots suddenly appeared on the snowfield in the north.
Immediately afterwards, dozens or hundreds of black spots began to expand, and a large group of cavalry was rushing towards them trampling on the ice and snow!
"I am Ili General Rongquan... Who is that person in front of me... Is he from the Ili Valley..."
"I am Rongquan...who is that person in front..."
When Guan Lu heard the familiar voice, he immediately stood up excitedly, "General Yili... our general... is really good... Hahaha..."
"We are an expedition team appointed by Lord Long Live... We traveled through Central Asia to work in Xinjiang... We are special envoys of Lord Long Live..."
boom! The whole snowfield was boiling, and when the cavalry in Tacheng heard that there was really a special envoy from Lord Long Live, they were so excited that their blood boiled and they screamed.
Rongquan's mood collapsed at that time. He rolled off his horse and knelt in the snow, "The minister is the Yellow Flag Guarjia clan... General Rongquan of Ili... I bow to you long live the Lord!"
"Master, good luck! Long live, long live...Long live!"
After shouting, everyone's face was buried in the snow and wept bitterly, and the hot tears immediately melted the ice and snow!
Doro, who has the highest position among the guards, ran all the way and stood in front of Rong Feng and said loudly, "Sacred bow... rise!"
After going through the fixed procedure, Doro immediately helped Rong Quan up. Looking at the Ili general Doro who had snow residue on his face, he quickly wiped it with his hands, "General... the general has suffered... the general has suffered..."
Rongquan was really emotionally broken. He actually said very rudely, "Why did you come here... Why did you come... Wuwuwu..."
Talking about the emotional point, the seven-foot man burst into tears!
How could Rong Quan not cry? When the mob attacked Huiyuan City, his family members were also in the city. Mingxu burned his family to death. In fact, Rong Quan's relatives also died tragically in the city.
Later, he was detained by the Tsarist Russians and tried his best to escape back to northern Xinjiang. He gathered the defeated troops, recruited herdsmen, trained the army, and accumulated food and grass!
Rongquan almost single-handedly bears the responsibility for the entire Xinjiang. This burden is too heavy and he really can't bear it!
The guards gathered around Rongquan and watched General Yili crying bitterly in the snow. The distant expedition team and garrison surrounded him with solemn expressions.
After crying for more than ten minutes, Rong Quan finally put away his emotions and clasped his hands in his fists, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Xinjiang is in such dire straits now, I can't believe anything..."
"Imperial envoys, please give me a token or an imperial edict! If you can't make me feel at ease, I will never let you enter Northern Xinjiang!"
Doro clasped his fists and saluted, "It should be, it should be..."
The waist badges of the guards and the secret edict given to them by Zai Chun before leaving. Although the emperor did not personally take charge, he still had his personal seal. Zai Chun could not invent the edict, but the secret edict was equally effective when sent out.
Rongquan was also a guard in the Forbidden City, so he could tell at a glance that the badges were fake. The secret edict carefully checked them several times to finally confirm that the seals were correct.
At this point, he felt relieved, and General Yili immediately set off north to Tacheng with his expedition team.
After walking for a whole day in the wind and snow, Doro and the others finally saw a group of herders' tents, as well as large herds of cattle and sheep. At the end of the snow-white horizon, a small town leaning on the mountains appeared in front of them.
"That's the tower city built by General Agui... I've rebuilt it again in the past few years, and now I have five thousand troops stationed..."
"This is the last organized offensive force in the entire northern Xinjiang...The rest are militia groups, and those who can fight have been concentrated here!"
"Huh? Five thousand?"
Gordon was the first to exclaim, "Five thousand people want to guard the entire northern Xinjiang? The entire Junggar Basin?"
