Chapter 196: Zuo Zongtang recovers Chen Hai’s defense against obstruction (2)
In the 22nd year of Qianlong's reign, Emperor Gaozong first pacified the Junggar tribe and then the Fen tribe, opening up more than 20,000 miles of territory. To the west of the North Road is Yili as the military headquarters, and to the west of the South Road is Kashgar as the military headquarters.
At that time, the officials in the imperial court were suspicious of the excessive expansion and waste, but the holy will was profound and unmoved. To build a country with territorial borders, each one has his own appropriate strategy.
There was a saying in the past that there were eight rich cities and eight poor cities on the north and south roads of Tianshan Mountain. It stretches from Urumqi in the north to the west and from Aksu in the south. It has fertile soil, springs and sweet springs, and the products of Yinfu. It used to be the territory of various tribes. It is also called the rich eight cities.
It meanders from Urumqi to the four cities in the east. The terrain is high and cold, with many mountains and streams but few plains. Hami meanders to the south and west to the four cities of Aksu. The terrain is narrow and there are many Gobi deserts in the middle. It is called the Poor Eight Cities. In terms of the north and south roads, the eight cities in the north are wide, while the eight cities in the south are narrow. The north can control the south, but the south cannot control the north.
Therefore, when the Junggar tribe was strong and powerful, the Fennel tribe was invaded by it and later merged with it. Emperor Gaozong sent troops to rescue the Fen tribe. The Quan tribe was in peace, but the Fen tribe surrendered ministers and large and small rebels, and the Zhuo rebels openly rebelled, hoping to occupy their old territory and form their own army. When the power of heaven comes, the head of the fierce person is erect, so it merges with the fennel department. After gaining control of the territory, they divided it into garrison camps and used their wealth to support the troops who moved to the garrison. This saved a lot of money for the expedition to the east of Zhendi and the cost of preventing corvee.
Now, if we keep to ourselves and do not restore Urumqi, there will be nothing to control. That is to say, the city of Urumqi was restored quickly and there was a place for garrisoning. At the same time, heavy troops should be deployed in Barkol and Hami to the south of Urumqi and to Talbahatai to the north to open up the corners, select good generals, and establish military garrisons and civilian garrisons. Set up a garrison to attract tourists and locals to solidify the frontier fortress. Then the troops will gradually stop withdrawing, and the pay can be negotiated!
At that time, the Ministry of Revenue will allocate military salaries to each province according to actual needs, and strictly set limits. Once the old system of the Daoguang period is restored, peace can be achieved both inside and outside the customs. If at this time we plan to stop the troops, pay wages, and withdraw the barriers, we will retreat even an inch and the invaders will advance. Not only Longyou will be in danger, but also the North Road, Kobdo, Ulia Sutai and other places may not be able to escape. This is a cessation of troops to save pay, which may not be beneficial to coastal defense, but it will be very harmful to frontier fortresses. The stakes are so high that we should think carefully about it.
The commentator also said that the troubles in the maritime frontier cannot come without cause, and regard the success or failure of the western frontier as static. The Russians are looking at me in Yili, and I will not be able to return for a long time. When the army comes out of the pass, it is difficult to transfer, and it is difficult to penetrate deep. Our division is getting late, and the Russians are advancing day by day. It is appropriate to focus all efforts on the Western Expedition. The Russians cannot pursue their ambitions in the northwest, and other countries must not provoke provocations in the southeast. They are very clear about the coastal defense situation, but they know very little about the frontier situation.
The Russians were occupying Yili, and taking advantage of our numerous military forces, they did not miss out on the distant strategy. They used the pretext of guarding in order to seize their wealth and enrich themselves. Yili, where the accident occurred, is also beautiful because of its fertile soil and sweet springs. The plains of Sichuan are spread out, with abundant products and a long-term reputation as a plump area. It is also slightly close to the southern boundary of the country, so it can be easily expanded and retracted.
Since Ganhui was completely wiped out, Anxi Prefecture and County were recovered. The officers and soldiers successively entered Hami, Barkol, and Jimusa. The noise inside and outside the pass gradually became clear. Only Urumqi and Hongmiaozi in the middle were occupied by the traitor Bai Yanhu, who was still under attack by Shangji Tian. This sunspot is on your face, what’s the big deal!
Russia, a famous northern state, is not an ordinary uneducated country. It is said that the generals are crossing Urumqi and Hongmiaozi are confronting us, and they are brazenly fighting for this unavoidable barren land. The situation is almost unforeseen.
The news of the Kashgar chieftain's rebellion against Turkey and his trade with Russia and Britain has been reported in the news in Haikou, but has not yet been heard of here. If, as the newsprint said, Kashgar is attached to Turkey, which is its co-religionist, and is doing business with Britain and Russia, I have no problem considering both and have no way of asking whether it will be able to stay for a long time after recovery. I can leave it alone.
However, as far as defending the situation is concerned, it is necessary to wait until Urumqi recovers to review the situation and make detailed plans before making a decision. If at this time all the armies that have left the fortress and those that have not yet left the fortress are to be summarized and withdrawn, there is really no way to do this.
There is an edict: China has no intention of returning to Urumqi. The west and north roads are already in danger. Moreover, once the fence is removed outside the pass, it is difficult to guarantee that the bandits will no longer gather and wreak havoc in the vicinity of the pass. There is failure.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor are well aware of the actual situation in the frontier fortress. There is no need to add another word to the subject. This is because it is related to the overall situation of current affairs. If you do not prepare a detailed explanation, you will regret it. In the midst of things, there are those who dare not remain silent, and those who dare not refrain from speaking to the end. If you insist on this, there is no such thing as a good thing. To restore Urumqi, we must suppress and appeasement at the same time, and we must coordinate food transportation and transportation.
Shaanxi Nihu Baiyanhu fled from Xining and Datong outside the pass. The number of thieves who could fight was only a few thousand at most. They should have rebelled from Shaanxi to Gansu, but they did not occupy the city. When they met my powerful army, they did not want to fight. Sometimes they saw the powerful army sneaking up, and the Fing Zhu After Nimu was cut off, Bai Zi took his gang and fled first.
Wherever Bai Ni violated, he did not stay for a long time, just for the sake of coveting and escaping. It can also be seen from the fact that he passed through Suzhou but did not go to Ma Si to receive an audience, and he stayed in Hongmiaozi instead of Urumqi. This thief is good at using ambushes, and his plans for the officers and soldiers are slightly lax, so he is easily trapped.
I have received a letter from the troops outside the pass, saying that the thieves can take the form. I have told them that no matter how strong the thieves are, I also ask myself whether the officers and soldiers are really strong. If the thieves show their weakness, they must guard against the temptation of their weak masters. If this thief is defeated, he will take the opportunity to escape, just like killing him in front of the formation, it is for the sake of the situation. This is a strategy for blind suppression.
The south road was opened, and the land from Turpan to Aksu was narrow and the people were poor. The land was dark and weak. It was recently controlled by Haohan's thief Agubai. The Pasha, the leader of Turpan, was connected with Bai Yanhu. The rat at the head and two ends was crouched and did not move. Appearance is docile. If you attack the enemy suddenly, it will reduce the strength of the army and increase the number of thieves on the way forward. This is not a plan.
The army stationed in Hami, repaired water conservancy, and cultivated fields. One of them was to gather Hami to strengthen the vassal guard, and the other was to put it in the center to prevent the gangsters from colluding, and to collect food supplies and save transportation. This is the policy of those who care about words.
Gansu, Liangzhou, and Suzhou have always been prosperous, but there are few people and land left after the chaos. This is especially true in Anxi, Yumen, and Dunhuang outside the Pass. The 190,000 dan of grain purchased today is equivalent to the annual tax of the entire province in peacetime, and I doubt that more can be purchased. If you take away the people's food to pay the army, where will the food come from if the people are exhausted and the army is fed?
In terms of transportation, carts and mules carry a lot of food and consume a lot of food, while camels carry less food and consume less food. Based on the distance traveled, a chariot can travel for thirty days and the food it carries will be exhausted, while a camel can travel for thirty days and carry a little more food for the army waiting to be paid.
The food that comes from the army's march to the north cannot be transported from the pass to the north. Nowadays, Suzhou, Gansu, and Liangzhou transport Anxi and Hami from Anxi, which has been difficult in the past peacetime. If they are still responsible for transporting Balikun over the Tianshan Mountains, and even transporting the ancient city from Balikun, the labor and expense are needless to say. Try to think about the pass In addition to human and animal consumption, how much food can be transported to Hami by mules and camels? How many more can be transported to the ancient city and Barkol?
The reason why I plan to collect and transport military rations from the North Road is to refer to the Wu and Ke area. This is because business travelers traveling on the North Road all ask about Wu and Ke. The cities of Wu, Ke, and Guihua belong to the Mongolian land. There are many villages, mixed with Mongolian and Han people, and they are self-contained settlements. There are many grain-producing areas, and it is easy to hire camels.
I hope that if grain transportation can be carried out along this route, it will be of benefit to the front army. If the grain within the pass is transported to Anxi and Hami, it can also be picked up by camels from Bacheng. The army's food supplies were supplied from two sources, so there was no shortage. But if you seek to be helpful, you can avoid the mistake of asking for thanks. Even though it is difficult and costly, I will not sympathize with it. As a blessing from heaven, Hami Tunnel will prosper from now on, Dunhuang and Yumen will be cultivated more and more widely, and the common people's food and transportation will not be tied up yet. I only try my best to achieve it.
I would like to present the actual situation of coastal defense and fortification defense as well as the current actual situation of suppressing and mobilizing troops and preparing food and transportation outside the customs. For those who should reply confidentially, I would like to attach a piece of information according to the order of inquiry, so as to make it clear and easy to read. Empress Dowager Fuken and the Emperor carried out their instructions. I would like to play.
