The great changes in the Western Regions were summarized into a detailed telegram in early May, which was sent to the capital by Zuo Zongtang himself. During the Dragon Boat Festival, it detonated the morale of the people in the capital!
The good news really came one after another. Although there were some interludes, Emperor Tongzhi used his own skills, or his good luck, to resolve them little by little.
Nowadays, even if there are complaints within the Eight Banners, they are well hidden, and the people are shouting "Long Live the Holy King".
This is not false politeness. The people really regard Emperor Tongzhi as a prosperous monarch like Kang, Yongzheng and Qianlong. Most people think that Tongzhi ZTE is real.
The war in the Western Region was over, and the treaty between Tsarism and Russia was signed. Suddenly everyone realized that there was no war in the entire Qing Dynasty!
This is an important sign that the prosperous age is coming. It is better to be a peace dog than a person in troubled times. This is all very important!
As long as there is no war, the Chinese will develop the economy as quickly as possible and restore production. Agricultural civilization has such endless energy!
At this time, no matter how much the imperial court had any slander against Emperor Tongzhi, they did not dare to show it at all. Even the temporary alliance formed by Prince Gong and others went dormant under the strict orders of Guiziliu.
Everyone knows that as far as Zaichun's popularity at this moment is concerned, it is like flowers blooming and fire cooking oil, and no one can resist this overwhelming power.
The bureaucracy of the late Qing Dynasty suddenly exploded into extremely high efficiency, but the execution of the emperor's orders was extremely difficult!
The rewards for the Western Expedition Army must be prepared in advance. On May 15th, Zuo Zongtang made an announcement and asked the court to allow 100,000 Western Expedition Army troops to guard the Western Regions.
In the excerpt, Zuo Jigao shed tears and lamented, describing the lives of the soldiers of the Western Expedition Army as extremely miserable!
It is indeed the case. The army that conquered the west was based on the old Hunan Army, and then mixed with part of the Sichuan Army to pacify the Changmao, as well as the Gansu and Shaanxi garrison, including part of the Manchu and Mongolian troops!
The main force among them is still the southern Han people with flat and long hair!
These Hunan and Sichuan troops have been fighting for the Qing Dynasty all their lives. Many of them started fighting in the first year of Xianfeng, and they continued to fight in the Western Regions. Many of them are already in their forties. Years old.
The average life span in ancient times was very low, and in the Qing Dynasty the average life span was only over fifty years old. It is not an exaggeration for these people to say that half of them were buried!
Don't torment them any more. They won't have any relatives back home!
During the Kingdom of Heaven movement back then, the war was like plowing the ground, completely sifting through the southern economy. The original owners of countless lands were no longer found, and then they were replaced, killed again, and replaced again!
Many villages have been burned to the ground and completely disappeared. The new villages that were built from their original addresses no longer have any blood ties with the people in the past.
What hometowns do these veterans return to? They can't go back. They don't have their relatives or their land in their hometown. They have been fighting for their whole lives. They are not used to farming anymore.
But they are needed here in the Western Regions. A large number of Han troops are needed to guard the borders. The Western Regions need an increase in the Han population to maintain rule. These veterans can play the most important role if they stay here!
The imperial court provides a salary, and these veterans can work in the fields and cultivate some land, so that they can contribute to this country with their last lives! This is their life, their destiny, their mission in this world!
Zuo Zongtang made it very clear that if the Western Regions want long-term peace and stability, the system must be changed. While the army is in the Western Regions and can still stay to guard the border, the counties can directly control it!
With Dihua as the capital to control the northern and southern Xinjiang, the 100,000 veterans guarding the border can also deter those young people from rebelling. Then the Western Region Investment Bank began to develop the economy and make the people here live better.
With the trade routes open and the economy developing, some people from the Central Plains can be attracted to take root here!
The solution has been figured out, and all that is left is time: intermarrying among all ethnic groups, running education, developing the economy, and maintaining law and order with an army loyal to the country.
So be it, if we develop well for a hundred or two hundred years, this land will never be separated from China!
And all this requires is the court's nod of approval. You only need to use your seal to acknowledge this reform system. Zuo Zongtang has already selected the personnel to implement it, so you, Emperor Tongzhi, don't have to worry at all!
Marshal Zuo has already managed things like this. If the court objects again, it will be really unpopular.
For the Manchus, one hundred thousand Han veterans went to guard the border. This was Zuo Zongtang's self-defeat in martial arts! He placed his direct descendants thousands of miles away in the Western Regions, which meant that these people would never be able to return to the Central Plains.
What is he rebelling against? Zuo Jigao completely reassured the imperial court. With the Jiayuguan Pass, Yumen Pass and other passes, these veterans of the border guards in the Western Regions could not even reach Lanzhou without the imperial court's orders.
The Central Plains were reduced to a pot of porridge, and they could not interfere. This was what the Manchus wanted. What they loved most was that the Han people had to give up their military power!
This caused a sensation in the entire capital, and Zuo Zongtang's popularity suddenly reached the level of being as famous as Zeng Guofan!
No matter how best to reward the army that conquered the west, it is not too much. Emperor Tongzhi asked the six ministries to discuss how to reward him!
What else is there to say? Zuo Zongtang is definitely not qualified to be crowned a king, but he is still qualified to be crowned a duke. However, there are also problems with being crowned a duke. Zeng Guofan's highest title is the first-class Yiyong Marquis!
Zeng Wenzheng was a marquis. Is it appropriate for Zuo Zongtang to be granted the title of duke? Do you really want to overpower Zeng Guofan? You must know that Zuo Zongtang was a disciple of Zeng Guofan.
Regarding the titles and rewards for Han ministers, this is the job of the Ministry of Rites. They also have to come up with a plan and submit it to the emperor, who will make the choice!
But today, the Ministry of Rites could not take this suggestion, because everyone could see clearly that with the young emperor's attitude, he could even consider becoming a king, but I am afraid it would be unjustifiable to become a marquis.
The heads of the Military Aircraft Department and the Sixth Department discussed it all afternoon but still had no clue. In the end, Baojun had no choice but to ask Weng Tonghe and Li Hongzao, two imperial masters, to come forward.
"Two of you, you are both the Imperial Master and the leader of Hanchen Qingliu. Your Majesty still listens to what you say... Why don't you go and talk about His Majesty's tone?"
"Ouch... I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to go..." Li Hongzao hid as soon as he heard this. "Your Majesty, Master Weng has taught you more over the years, I'm just in name only!"
"I have to ask the Hanlin Academy to write a celebratory article. How about I go on errands first?" After saying this, Li Hongzao ran away without waiting for anyone to say anything.
Everyone present shook their heads, wondering why this guy was becoming more and more like a fox in his cultivation.
But everyone also knows that it is not easy for him. Since Emperor Tongzhi became more and more powerful, Zai Chun's temper became more and more unpredictable! No one dares to touch this bad luck!
