After Zhao Xin received Yu Deli's telegram, he quickly responded. He felt that not only Madras but also West Bengal must have a port base. You must know that the northern part of West Bengal borders Sikkim and Bhutan. By setting up a point there, you can monitor the movements of the Qing Dynasty in the future and disrupt the British layout throughout India.
By the end of October, the "Southward Detachment", which was marching while reforming prisoners, finally slowly approached the city of Ulyasutai, stopped at Chubuliya Station ninety miles to the north, and set up camp.
At this time, the total number of people in the southward detachment has reached more than 3,000 people. In addition to more than 1,200 Mongolian archers who have been converted and converted, there are also herdsmen who continue to join along the way just to beg for food.
After Hu Ji and the others got in touch with Zhao Xin, they stopped moving forward. In addition to sending people to monitor the movements of the Qing army in the south, most of the energy was devoted to grievance meetings every day, allowing the reformed Mongolian recruits to complain loudly in order to expose the ugly faces of the princes, nobles and lamas.
Previously, due to the Northern Navy's southward movement, Vice General Zuo of Dingbian ordered the ministries in Khalkha to increase the service allocation for the ministries in Outer Mongolia this year. If money could not be paid, the herdsmen of various banners complained.
At this time, Baoning was powerless against the Northern Navy. He received an edict from Xinjiang a few days ago, asking him to abandon Ulyasutai as soon as possible and lead his army to retreat to Khovd. The Qing garrison generals in the city also received strict orders from Baoning, telling them to restrain themselves in the past few days and stop beating and scolding the Mongols arbitrarily to prevent them from losing the support of the people and even losing their way out.
In the past, Mongolian princes and officials who were good at flattering people always liked to include a few Manchu words to show that they were "learned people" when talking to others. They often felt flattered and told others about what Deputy General Zuo of Dingbian said to him and what he said back. Even with an insignificant remark or a casual question from the General, they would show off everywhere for a while. However, this kind of situation is now gone as the North Navy approaches step by step.
Now they are more concerned about how they should get along with each other after the ruler is replaced by the powerful Beihai Town. It is said that the people in Beihai Town do not speak Manchu, only Mandarin, so learning a few words of Mandarin from local Han businessmen has become something the princes and nobles quietly do.
As the Mongolian saying goes, people who herd camels know the temperament of male camels. The princes were afraid that their words would reach the ears of the general who was already suspicious of the Mongols, so they decided not to make public remarks that would risk their lives and only discuss them privately with those close to them.
Beihai Town was so terrifying to the feudal hereditary kings of Khalkha. Even Catherine II, the reincarnation of the "Chagandala Sea" by the lamas, could not stop the Beihai Navy. However, they had very little understanding of such an upcoming ruler.
The princes and nobles had no idea what the gears and five-pointed star symbols on the military flag of the Northern Navy meant. Why was there not even a dragon on it? Or maybe it should be like the Tsarist Empire to the north, with a menacing double-headed eagle.
On the ninth day of October in the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong's reign, in a small courtyard in Uliasutai City, several leading figures among the Mongolian nobles gathered together for secret discussions on how to deal with the current situation.
Buniratna, the crown prince of the Zasak Tuhan tribe, knelt the ashes in his tobacco bag on the edge of the kang, looked at several of his accomplices in the dim candlelight, and whispered: "We sent gifts to the Northern Navy through the Dalai Lama. I sent you a letter, but there is still no news yet. It seems that the chips we gave you are not enough!"
The Dalai Lama on the side was twisting sandalwood beads and counting them, and said with a distressed look on his face: "They don't want any silver, jewelry, livestock, or women. There is nothing I can do."
Sanyin Noyan Khan Chedenzha preached: "In this case, why not send someone with a higher status?"
Eryiduobu Dorji from the Tuxie Tuhan tribe suddenly sneered several times, which sounded sinister. There was a trace of dissatisfaction on Chedenzabu's face. He saw Tushetuhan Chedendorji sitting here just smoking a cigarette, so he teased: "I wonder what Taiji has to say? Tell me."
Eryi Dobdorji never mentioned that he had been to Kyaktu, but explained: "I laughed because you still have illusions, thinking that you can cooperate with Beihai Town. Don't count on it! It was sent by someone else The ultimatum was clear."
Sanyin Noyan Khan Chedenzabu slapped the table and said angrily: "You want to give my pasture to those untouchables? How dare they! At worst, I will summon all the herdsmen under my command to fight the Northern Pirates!"
Tuxie Tuhan Chedendorji suddenly said: "Well, men like us Mongolians are very brave. But have you ever thought about what you are going to use to fight the Northern Navy? Will you use bows and arrows or spears? Just Can this be used against the North Korean Navy’s fast guns and cannons?”
"I... even if I die, it will be better than being a slave!" Chedenzabu said he was not convinced, but he felt guilty in his heart. He suffered heavy losses in the battle at Chahan Tuoluohai.
"If you can deal with them just by talking about being brave, then I'll tell you that it doesn't matter if you don't sleep for three days and three nights." Chedendorji stretched out the empty pipe pot to his son and motioned for him to help him fill it. The tobacco was shredded, and then he looked at the crowd and said: "What should we do when we reach this situation? We should make a decision quickly. If you want to stay and not leave, then you have to do whatever the winner says. The situation has reached this point, if you still hold on to the It’s so stupid to have objections!”
The Dalai Lama said unwillingly: "But Bogd Khan is still in Rehe and has not come back. Are we going to make the decision for him now?"
Chedendorji asked back: "Do you think the emperor will let him come back at this point?"
The Dalai Lama said sadly: "In this case, the only choice is to follow the general and retreat westward to Khovd."
The Mongolian princes present were all silent after hearing this, and they all made their own plans in their hearts.
Since ancient times, the hasty retreat of large armies has always been accompanied by the looting of the evacuated areas, and the Qing army in Ulia Sutai was no exception. The targets of their looting were the merchants in the city.
The trading city in Uliasutai is not large, less than half the area of Kulun Trading City, and there are no wooden walls around it. Two old streets intersect in the shape of a right cross, with the four ends pointing to the southeast, northwest, and more than a hundred shops are lined up on the cross streets.
On the night of October 10th, a large number of officers and soldiers carrying torches suddenly poured into the sleeping cross street. The bumpy road was trampled by people and soon turned into a big muddy pond. However, no one cared about all this at all. Teams of soldiers beat the doors of each shop fiercely, causing the dogs in the yard to bark uncontrollably.
"Open the door! Open the door quickly! Let your shopkeeper come out!"
"My lord, all the shopkeepers have gone to bed. You can come tomorrow morning." The voice of the clerk behind the door sounded trembling. Through the wooden door, he could see the swaying firelight on the street outside, which was really scary.
"Mom! If you want to live, open the door quickly! Otherwise I will turn you all into ashes in a fire!" A Qing soldier outside the door shouted angrily, and then shouted to several of his subordinates: "If they don't open the door, you will Climb over the courtyard wall."
As soon as these words came out, the shopkeeper who came to the door in his clothes knew that something was wrong and begged: "Master Jun, this is just a small business. The boss's goods are all stored in the Lama Temple. We really don't have anything here." .”
"What nonsense! If you want to live, be honest! Leash the dog! Open the door!" After the squeaking sound, the man pulled the dog away. The chain on the door made a clatter and slowly opened a gap, and the door The Qing troops outside swarmed up and rushed in with a roar.
"Everyone, come out! Stand still in the yard! Damn it! What about you! Drill into the corner of the wall! Stand still! If you dare to touch me again, I will kill you with a knife!"
When everyone in the shop, including the accountants and cooks, were gathered together, the Qing army locked them in the dark woodshed and then began to plunder them. Silver, coinage, silks, and cloths were all taken, and even a few packets of brown sugar, tobacco, robes, and other things that no one wanted on a daily basis were taken.
The same scene is playing out in every shop on the cross street. Because the shop area was not large, the search in the house was quickly completed, and the Qing army began to search the yard again, making a fuss.
"Take away the carts, cattle and horses! Take the saddles as well! Block up the wells! Don't let the Northern Pirates have an easy time!"
"Master! Master! I beg you, this cow is my lifeblood, you can't take it away!"
"Stay? Do you want to make an enemy out of me?! Get away!"
Large-scale looting also caused chaos within the Qing army. Even a new hat with a gold top caused a fight. You wanted it, and I wanted it too. Everyone was fighting for it, saying that they saw it first. Yes, why should I give it to you?
After arguing with each other for a while, several people suddenly started to take action. A strong Qing soldier suddenly stepped forward, grabbed the hat, and cursed: "Damn it! It's just a broken hat! No one wants it from me!"
After saying that, he tore his hat to pieces. When everyone saw it, they became furious and started fighting from the yard to the street. After a while, everyone was bruised and swollen. They didn't stop until a staff leader arrived on horseback, pulled out a knife and shouted loudly.
Samuba, a Mongolian soldier from Zhenglan Banner, grabbed a large bag of brown sugar from the main room of a shop. This was a good thing that usually made him covetous. The shopkeeper was lying on the heated kang in the house. Because he was ill, he did not go to the yard to gather. He was covered with a Mongolian robe and his teeth kept chattering.
Samuba walked outside the door and looked at the room where the goods were kept. It was empty enough for mice to run away. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered the man lying on the kang in the room, so he turned back and pulled his robe over, then took off his own tattered robe and threw it away. At this time, he saw a new pair of felt boots hanging on the wall behind the door, so he also took them over and muttered: "Okay, I'll just take these, and you can take good care of your health."
In the morning, when the soldiers and horses of Sanyin Noyan Khan finally left Ulia Sutai, every house in the trading city had been looted, and countless people were crying and beating their chests in the yard.
"Second uncle, all our goods have been robbed. How can we explain this to our boss?"
In the courtyard of the branch of "Mei Gong Yu Ji" in Uliasutai, the clerk Liu Changshun was squatting on the ground with a sad face. He looked up at the shopkeeper. This was his uncle.
"It's good if everything is fine. My boss won't blame me." Liu Maocai sighed, wondering what the hell was going on! The imperial court couldn't defeat Beihai Town, but in the end it actually attacked us businessmen.
