Chapter 3324 Chapter 3326 [Recovering the Western Regions]
After taking the city of Ili, Xiang Nan divided his troops into two groups to conquer the southern and northern borders respectively.
He is based in Ili and is responsible for the subsequent governance of Ili.
After all, capturing the city of Ili is one thing, but governing it is another.
If we only fight but not cure, then once the Qing army withdraws, the Western Regions will easily rebel.
In the past, when the imperial court fought against the Dzungar Khanate, it failed to manage it well after the fight, which resulted in the resurgence of the Dzungar Khanate.
Xiang Nan naturally would not make that mistake. He immediately issued a decree to establish the Yili General's Mansion in Yili City to station troops here and manage the Western Regions.
He also ordered the migration of people from the interior to Xinjiang. To this end, he ordered the Ministry of Household Affairs to allocate one million taels of silver to establish farming stations in the Western Regions to help immigrants from the interior settle in the Western Regions. As long as they are willing to come, they will be given fields, houses, livestock, etc.
Xiang Nan is also planning to build eight cities on both sides of the Ili River to defend Ili. Not only can it strangle the chokepoint of trade, but if one side is in trouble and supported by all parties, it can also better defend Ili.
…
Six months later, the Qing army had swept across southern and northern Xinjiang, and the Jungar Khanate was completely destroyed.
After the Jungar Khanate was destroyed, various tribes in the Western Regions asked for surrender and expressed their willingness to submit to the Qing Dynasty.
None of them expected that the Dzungar Khanate would be defeated so quickly.
In less than a month after entering Xinjiang, the Qing army had captured Zhenyuan, Gaochang, Dihua, and Yili, defeated the Junggar army of 150,000 troops, and captured Azhan Khan and other noble ministers alive. Within half a year, it had pacified southern and northern Xinjiang. territory.
Such combat power really frightened them.
Even the Dzungar Khanate was so fragile. Small tribes like them naturally asked for surrender, hoping to submit to the Qing Dynasty and avoid the war.
Xiang Nan did not care about their half-hearted behavior towards Qin and Mu Chu. After all, it is inevitable for small tribes to struggle to survive in the cracks and please everyone.
Killing them all would be too cruel and would not be conducive to the unity and stability of the border. It would be better to forgive their past and accept their surrender, as long as they are obedient in the future.
In addition, Xiang Nan was also particularly generous. Their sons could be sent to General Yili's Mansion to study the Four Books and Five Classics, Central Plains culture, and in the future they could participate in imperial examinations, be awarded official positions, etc.
Of course, this is nominally a favor, but in fact, they let their sons be used as protons, and if they dare to do anything wrong, they will directly kill their sons. Moreover, the culture of the Central Plains is, after all, more colorful than the culture of the Western Regions.
If they are willing to accept the baptism of Central Plains culture, their identification with the Central Plains will inevitably increase, which will also prevent the infiltration of external forces such as the Rakshasa Kingdom.
All in all, this is a good thing for the Qing Dynasty.
The chiefs of each tribe naturally knew Xiang Nan's true intentions. It's just that now the Qing army is sweeping across southern and northern Xinjiang, and even Jungar's 100,000-strong army is no match.
They are small tribes, ranging from a hundred thousand to tens of thousands. They are no match for the Qing army, so they have to obey orders obediently and thank Xiang Nan for his kindness.
At this time, eight cities surrounding Ili City have also been built to protect Ili City like a guard. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants from the mainland have already settled in the immigration settlements, and millions more will enter the Western Regions in the future.
Xiang Nan has also transferred officials from the capital to formally take over the Ili General Mansion, placing southern and northern Xinjiang under the rule of the Qing court.
Before leaving, he told the minister Heerle who took over the Ili General Palace, "In addition to guarding against the Jungar tribe, the Han tribe, etc., the most important thing is to guard against the invasion of the Rakshasa Kingdom. As long as it dares to invade our border, we will attack it head on. Thrash.
I want you to be the general of Ili, not as a general who defends the city, but as a person who opens up borders and expands the territory. In ancient times, Zhang Qian, Ban Chao, Wang Xuance, and Wang Zhongsi were your role models. " The Han tribe is the largest force in the Western Regions besides the Jungar tribe. Although they have asked for surrender this time, there is no guarantee that they will not have different intentions, so they still have to be careful.
“Slave, please be careful,” Heller said immediately.
…
Xiang Nan then returned to the court, bringing with him not only a group of Jungar princes and nobles, but also thousands of captured cars of gold, silver, jewelry, furs, spices, etc., worth more than tens of millions.
The Dzungar Khanate was founded for more than a hundred years and was once one of the ten most powerful countries in the world. At its peak, its land area was more than three million square kilometers.
The accumulation of such a big country over a hundred years is astronomical. Even if it is not as rich as the Qing Dynasty, it can still be regarded as a super rich country.
Therefore, in addition to the rewards given to the generals, soldiers, various tribes of Mongolia, and the Yu clan, Xiang Nan could also have thousands of carts of loot, which can be said to be a huge fortune.
No wonder the United States is so willing to fight. No wonder Greyjoy's family motto says, "Strength is better than hard work." It is indeed a wise saying.
The army set out from Ili City and finally arrived in the capital after two months.
Subsequently, Xiang Nan held a grand prisoner dedication ceremony in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
The so-called sacrifice of prisoners means to present the captured prisoners to the ancestral temple during the victory to show the military exploits.
This time's annihilation of the Jungar tribe and the recovery of the Western Regions was the greatest victory since the Qing Dynasty established the Ding capital. Not only did it avoid border troubles that had lasted for hundreds of years, but it also increased the Qing Dynasty's territory by nearly 40%. It was a rare military achievement.
Even in all dynasties, this military achievement can be regarded as an example, so it is natural to celebrate it in a big way. And offering prisoners to the Ancestral Temple is the best way to celebrate.
On the day the prisoners were presented, hundreds of thousands of people from the capital came to watch. All the soldiers wore new military uniforms and wore bright armor. All the princes, nobles, high officials of the court, and even envoys and businessmen from various countries in Beijing attended the ceremony together to show the military power of the Qing Dynasty.
With the sound of thirty-six gun salutes, Xiang Nan personally led his brothers, princes, nobles, and court officials to pay homage to the Ancestral Temple to show his achievements to his ancestors.
Subsequently, Azhan Khan and other princes and nobles of Zungar were brought up, as well as the heads of deceased persons such as Xiao Ce Ling Dun Dobu and Seng Geli. Azhan Khan and others were all dressed in plain clothes and kneeling in front of the Ancestral Temple with their hands tied behind their backs.
Acton, the Minister of Punishment, went out to kneel and lamented the evil deeds of the Zhungar tribe over the years, including being plundered and harassed by the Qing border gates, countless people were plundered as slaves, countless homes were burned by them, and countless wealth was stolen by them. Plunder... said with righteous indignation and rage.
The onlookers present naturally clenched their fists and their eyes were split when they heard this, wishing they could go forward and punch Azan Khan and others to death.
Finally, Aktun asked Azhan Khan and others to be executed in Lingchi to set an example.
As soon as he said these words, Azhan Khan and others felt chills running down their spines, and they all broke out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, all this was just a formality. Xiang Nan finally announced with mercy that he would forgive Azhan Khan and others for their crimes, and ordered Yousi to properly resettle them.
Actually, we just need to find a place that is not an eyesore and put them under house arrest.
Subsequently, Xiang Nan rewarded the meritorious officials. The soldiers who went on the expedition were given an additional year's pay. The generals who went on the expedition were promoted and their salaries were increased. The various Mongolian ministries and Yu clan who accompanied the army also received awards.
The imperial court will exempt taxes for another year, so that all people in the world will benefit from it.
Once this decree was announced, everyone naturally kowtowed and shouted "Long live, long live, long live, long live," and the prisoner presentation ceremony officially ended.
(End of this chapter)