Chapter 197 Zuo Zongtang prepares to invade Xinjiang
The empress dowagers of the two palaces took up the report and grinded it for three days, but to no avail, so they summoned the ministers to discuss it.
The Empress Dowager Cixi said: Li Hongzhang only lost Xinjiang, but the vitality of his limbs was not harmed; if the sea frontier was not guarded, the serious troubles in the heart and heart would become more difficult; Li wanted to abandon fortification defense and focus on sea defense. Zuo Zongtang focused on coastal defense in the east and fort defense in the west; Zuo Zongtang focused on both fortification and sea defense. This has been debated for half a year, and it has not been decided for a long time, which will cause endless harm. What do you think?
Wen Xiang, the Minister of Military Aircraft, said: Our dynasty has established the capital of Ding and Yan, and the Mongolian troops have guarded the north. There have been no beacons for hundreds of years. That is why those who return to Xinjiang protect Mongolia; those who protect Mongolia protect the capital. I sincerely request the Empress Dowager and the Emperor not to abandon the Western Frontier Fortress.
Prince Gong Yixin said: The land of our ancestors cannot be abandoned and left untouched. I sincerely ask the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to treat it equally.
Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zuo Zongtang conquered Fujian and Yue in the east, and conquered Guanlong in the west. He conquered by fighting, and consolidated by guarding. Looking at China, there is no one who can surpass his right. The cabinet was immediately ordered to appoint Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, as the imperial envoy to supervise the military affairs of the Western Expedition to Xinjiang; Jin Shun, the former general of Uliasutai, was appointed the commander-in-chief of Urumqi to assist in the military affairs of Xinjiang; the former commander-in-chief of Urumqi, Jing Lian, fell ill due to worry and diligence. Yuan Baoheng, the former grain transportation assistant of the Western Expedition, became ill due to overwork and allowed the two of them to return to Beijing to report on their work. Tan Zhonglin, the Chief Secretary of Shaanxi Province, promoted Yi Xue, established a bookstore, and dredged canals while nursing the governor. He worked hard and made great achievements, and was actually awarded the title of governor of Shaanxi.
Zuo Zongtang accepted the order, but was not happy but worried. He wrote again: I am now setting out for the expedition with a whole brigade. I will use firearms, medicine, leather and cotton clothes and trousers, felt tents, mules and horses, purchase, manufacture, and transportation expenses every day. The money required is tens of thousands or tens of thousands.
When dispatching Bending, the arrears of pay should be cleared, and more capable men should be recruited. The regular pay should be increased. When going out to conquer the army, in addition to the regular pay deducted from the grain according to the regulations, the remaining pay must be paid in cash.
Grain transportation from the north to the south has become more prosperous after September. There are tens of thousands of camels, horses, carts and mules, people, and livestock. The wages and grains must be paid in cash. Bags, felt strips, carts, camels, and other supplies must be purchased at any time. .
Because of the New Year, full pay should be paid for one month, and the generals in each battalion are looking forward to it bravely. The horse and infantry battalions that have left the customs have been transferred to the teams in Liangzhou to prepare for their departure. The grain shipments from various routes are waiting for silver to be paid. Reports are coming one after another, urgent as sparks, and I am unable to respond...
After Zongtang finished playing, he hurriedly summoned Liu Jintang of Xining Road and said: I have been declining and ill for a long time, and I am deeply worried that my energy is not enough to meet my ambitions. Yizhaiying is sharp, decisive, capable of planning and making decisions, and his talent is unparalleled. I want you, the Prime Minister, to conduct business affairs and command the Central Government. How about joining the Jin Shun, Zhang Yao, and Jin Shunchang troops to fight in northern Xinjiang first?
Liu Jintang said: Commander Zuo is in charge of the overall situation, Jintang will not give up even if he is killed! Reporting to Commander Zuo, the cities in Xinjiang are a thousand miles away from Guanlong, and the farthest is Kashgar, which is six thousand miles away. Jintang does not worry about the slowness of military aircraft, but worries about the difficulty of pay.
Zuo Zongtang said: "As long as the army can be organized through military force, attached with generals who can control it, and people who are dedicated to the task, the Western Expedition can be accomplished!" Don't worry about Yi Zhai. I can shoulder a heavy responsibility and thousands of things. Information about the pay and food transportation of the troops leaving the customs has been reported four hundred miles hastily. The imperial court has collected the pay and silver, and the army can prepare for the Western Expedition.
Liu Jintang said: "Commander Zuo is dealing with all kinds of things every day. Why don't you find more screenwriters to polish this case document? I heard that Li Hongzhang has more than 100 screenwriters."
Zongtang smiled and said: "Customer service also consumes money, so I am also a master!" Duke Yu Shaonan left in anger, and Duke Liu Keyan was coming soon. Zuo would never spend a copper coin in vain. Will the dismantling of the camp and the aftermath go smoothly?
Liu Jintang said: Reporting to Zuo Shuai went smoothly. The Mu Tushan and Wenlin tribes were all demobilized; the Chenglu tribe was reduced to the third battalion; the Jinshun and Jinglian tribes, with more than 90 battalions, were reduced to the 40th battalion; the Lao Xiang Army, Xu Zhanbiao Guo Yong Camp, and Zhang Yaosong Wu Army The four divisions of Jinshunchang Zhuosheng Camp and more than 180 battalions have been reduced to 140 battalions.
Zuo Zongtang said: There are too many! According to my military order, the Eight Banners of Jinshun must cut off another twenty battalions; the Laoxiang Army, Guoyong Camp, Songwu Army, and Zhuosheng Camp must cut off forty battalions. The army entering Xinjiang exceeded 120 battalions. One hundred and twenty battalions of troops, with more than 80,000 soldiers and servants, fighting in the remote areas of Xinjiang, consume 10 million taels of silver every year. How can such a huge sum of money be spent? Throughout my life, I have been worried about paying, and ashamed of fighting for wages. However, if we don't fight, how can we get to the Western Frontier!
In January 1876, Zongtang played again. In order to comply with the order, the army was sent out of the customs. The source of salary was exhausted, so he planned to raise a huge sum of money to help the urgent need. He respectfully presented it and prayed for the Holy Spirit.
The use of troops outside the fortress, transportation of grain, and cultivation of land require a lot of money, while the wages of the various provinces and customs are decreasing day by day. There are only a few places in Guanlong that are barren, and there is nowhere to raise money on the spot, so we hope that the provinces will provide financial support, and most of the money in each province will be used for coastal defense.
The stealing minister obeyed the decree last year and merged, leaving one hundred and forty-one battalions of horses and infantry behind. The four and a half battalions left behind by Mu Tushan were subsequently withdrawn. They were dispatched sporadically, but there were still more than 130 horse and foot battalions left. More than 6 million taels of real money are needed every year, and 2 million taels of grain are collected and transported to the west. In total, a total of 8 million taels of real silver are required for one year's disbursement. The facts are reported to the officials.
We have no hope to express our gratitude to God. Considering that the frontier fortress military affairs are urgent and the salary source is exhausted, and the money is waiting to be used, we order the Ministry of Household Affairs and the ministers of the provinces to quickly allocate a special fund for grain transportation and release more than 1.4 million in short-term silver. There are two deadlines for payment; all the unpaid wages of more than 26.1 million taels are owed, and the amount of payment is limited to different provinces. The payment of wages should be paid in full on a monthly basis, without further delay, so as to speed up the war.
The two palaces took over and issued an edict: Jia Enzhu should be allocated 2 million taels of silver under the foreign tax of 40% of the inventory of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and allowed to borrow 5 million taels of foreign money. Each province should allocate 300 taels in advance to pay the Western Expedition. Ten thousand taels is enough to reach ten million taels. The governor received this huge sum of money to ensure that Xinjiang's military affairs were put in place as soon as possible and that he could perform his duties quickly.
Ministers in all provinces and frontiers, starting from the beginning of this year, will pay their monthly payments every month, and no further arrears are allowed. If the short interpretation is strictly enforced, Zuo Zongtang and Tan Zhonglin will participate in the performance respectively.
Zuo Zongtang received the order and knelt down to recite it again and again, bursting into tears.
