Episode 3 Ili Empire

On April 5, the next day the entire Kashgar region was occupied. On the third day, the western part of the Aksu region was occupied. It is still advancing rapidly eastward along the oasis corridor on the south side of the Tianshan Mountains.

The actions of the USSR shocked the whole world. In Geneva, the ambassadors of the Soviet Union and the Ming Dynasty to the League of Nations were surrounded by reporters from various countries, while in the Ming Dynasty, the media were overwhelming, and reporters gathered again in front of various military and political institutions.

In a society like the Ming Dynasty, the political life of the people is very rich, and there are all kinds of civil gatherings in front of Xinjiekou Square and the official residence of the first assistant: labor organizations, women's organizations, political organizations, non-political organizations, and individual street speakers...... The content is also varied, whether it advocates rights, or promotes opinions, or attacks the authorities, or raises funds...... It's just that there are fewer people on weekdays, more people on weekends, fewer people when there are no major events, and more people when there are major events. When Xiang Xiaoqiang first came, it was like he was completely stunned, just like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden...... No, it's like Grandma Liu entered the Supergirl draft. I didn't expect that there would be such a society, and such a group of "well-fed" people.

Xiang Xiaoqiang couldn't figure it out at first: the Ming government can only be so good, why is this group of people still not satisfied. Could it be that there is really such a creature as "Diao Min" in the world? At first, he was very uncomfortable. It took more than half a year to get used to it. Now, although he is also unbearable as a member of the "authorities", he also takes all this for granted.

In fact, if you think about it, this is like a person who suddenly crosses into the era of market economy from the era of planned economy, and suddenly faces the world of flowers from extreme scarcity, and he will also be unable to figure it out: things in the mall can only be so abundant, and the attitude of the salesperson can only be so good. At that time, we didn't talk about picking and choosing, and begged the salesperson to take a look at something, and we had to look at people's faces!

Now, I belong to the ruling class, and I am naturally very unhappy with all this, and sometimes I really want to have a mutiny, and put the cabinet, the courts, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the parliament, the newspapers, the radio, and so on under my control, and then do whatever he wants, and if he is unhappy, he will cross him. It's like the hope of opening a shopping mall, the whole city is a shopping mall, and the hope of opening an oil company is an oil company in the whole country. Monopoly is always cool, whether it's power or market.

But...... If he had crossed over at the beginning, he did not take the road of power, but took the road of the people, such as directly getting money, and then getting back the Ming Dynasty, then he would definitely be glad that the Ming Dynasty was like this, and he would be glad that this society could make him a common man and very happy.

……

Now, Xiang Xiaoqiang, as a member of the "authorities", is ready to be tortured by the people together with Shen Rongxuan and them. In fact, when they signed a secret agreement with the Soviet Union, they were already mentally prepared. Xiang Xiaoqiang's side is better, after all, he is in the military, and his responsibility is very small, and he was against doing this at the beginning. Shen Rongxuan's side is in a hurry now.

Regardless of whether it was the Soviet Union or the Ming Dynasty, they did not grind when they were questioned by the outside world, and they readily took out the statements they had prepared.

According to the Soviet Union, the two areas of northern and southern Xinjiang have been the homeland of the people of all ethnic groups in Central Asia since ancient times, and it was not until the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty that they were forcibly occupied by force. Now that the Manchu Qing Dynasty has fallen, and the oppressed peoples of all nationalities there have been liberated, all of them have a strong desire to join the big family of the Union of Soviet Social-Social-Ist-Righteous Republics, and the Soviet Union is merely complying with the wishes of the peoples of Central Asia. It has nothing to do with the Ming Kingdom from beginning to end.

The Ming Dynasty said that the northern and southern frontiers have been an inseparable part of the Chinese Empire since the Han Empire. As the orthodoxy of China, the Ming Empire naturally and legitimately inherited the territory of the previous dynasties, and the northern and southern frontiers were no exception, how can it be said that it has nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty. The reason why the Ming Dynasty tolerated the Soviet Union's occupation of southern Xinjiang and did not declare war on it was purely because the Ming Dynasty had just been reunified, and after the end of the war, the military and financial resources were quite insufficient, and there were large areas of northern land and people to build, so there was really no time to look westward.

Neither the USSR nor the Ming told the truth. Because this kind of secret covenant is really not on the table. The Ming Dynasty's cession of land (albeit only in name only) would certainly be reviled by the people, and the Soviet Union's land that was clearly extorted by taking advantage of the danger of others was not at all glorious, at least not in line with the glorious image that the Soviet Union had tried to show to the outside world. Therefore, the two sides have long negotiated a step.

Sure enough, a reporter in Geneva asked the Soviet ambassador: Now southern Xinjiang is obviously disputed land. According to convention, the most reasonable way to belong to the disputed land is national self-determination. Would the Soviet Union allow the people of southern Xinjiang to vote for themselves?

The Soviet ambassador agreed: Of course, we are going to liberate them, not to invade them. Since it is to liberate them, how can the will of the local people not be respected? If, after voting, the local people really choose to join the Ming Dynasty, the Red Army will withdraw immediately.

Almost at the same time, other reporters asked Ambassador Daming: If the Soviet Union annexed southern Xinjiang as a union republic to the Soviet Union, would Daming recognize it?

Ambassador Daming refused: Of course he didn't admit it.

The reporter asked: What if the Soviet Union held a local vote for national self-determination, and the result was that the local people were willing to join the Soviet Union?

Ambassador Daming was silent for a long time and replied: If the national self-determination vote is really open and fair, and truly reflects the true will of the local people, then Daming will also respect their wishes.

In this way, both sides are simultaneously declaring to the world that their countries have recognized the "self-determination of peoples in disputed areas".

And this proclamation of "approval of voting for self-determination" later laid a sad foreshadowing for the Soviet Union. But at this time, neither the Soviet Union nor the Ming Dynasty realized it.

……

However, this is only in Geneva, internationally. In both countries, there have been mass gatherings. In Moscow, factories, party and government offices, and schools were organized to celebrate the march of the masses. The procession, organized in a neat phalanx according to different units, carried huge portraits of Lenin and Stalin, unfurled huge banners with unified slogans, shouted neat slogans "Support the liberation of the Uyghur-Rs-Stans" and marched "spontaneously" in front of foreign envoys and journalists.

In Nanjing, the rally was much more "disorganized". Almost to the point of outrage. Donglin University once again took the lead, and students from all universities in Nanjing surrounded the official residence of the first assistant, the office buildings of various cabinet departments, and Xinjiekou Square. Donglin University's huge "wind and rain, reading, sound into the ears; Family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, everything worries about people" banner was also played again. The banners of the surrounding universities are star-studded. The banners of the students, like the spiritual banners of the intellectual circles, guide the citizens from all walks of life to participate in this ...... In Xiang Xiaoqiang's words: Throw yourself into this vigorous anti-imperialist patriotic movement.

It seems that the reaction of the public sector has been much greater than the top brass had anticipated. In Xiang Xiaoqiang's view, if there is no other thing to divert public attention, it will now evolve into a "May Fourth Movement".

In fact, it is not to blame that the people are angry. At the beginning, the high-level assumption of the Ming Dynasty was: Anyway, the Ming Dynasty has never actually controlled that place, and there are not many people of their own nationality in that place, and the Ming generation, the people's sense of identity with that place is not very strong. Besides, now the joys, sorrows, and sorrows of the people are all occupied by the liberation of Jiangbei. Who is fed and fed, and will die or live for that place?

But what they didn't expect was that if the Soviet army occupied southern Xinjiang before the Northern Expedition, or occupied southern Xinjiang during the war, then few people in the Ming Dynasty really wouldn't care. Because at that time, everyone subconsciously thought that that place was still Manchu, and even if the Soviet Union took it, it would take away the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and it had little to do with themselves.

But now, the Northern Expedition has ended, the Manchus have been wiped out, and the entire territory of the Manchu Empire, regardless of whether the Ming army actually occupies it or not, has now declared its submission to the Ming Dynasty. That is to say, as long as they used to belong to the Manchu Qing Dynasty, now they all belong to the Ming Dynasty. Now that the Soviet Union occupies southern Xinjiang, it is openly snatching things from the arms of the Ming Dynasty, which is no different from occupying Shandong and Henan.

This layer, no one thought of it beforehand. Now it turns out that everyone miscalculated.

……

Now both the royal family and the cabinet are thinking about whether it is appropriate to hold the marriage of Princess Liaoyang now. Some people support it: they think that this may divert public attention. Even if this marriage is scolded, at least it can transfer the "Mingsu issue" to the "Manchu and Han issue".

And those who oppose it say that this will only add fuel to the fire. Now that the people are angry that the authorities have lost their territory, wouldn't it be a great deal for you, the "authorities", to brag about the great joy of the event......

Xiang Xiaoqiang and Fourteen Gege were also very hesitant, and no one could judge what the result would be if the wedding was held now. From their own point of view, of course, they want to get married immediately. …… It's been too long. It's not just Xiang Xiaoqiang, even Fourteen Gege can't wait.

……

On the morning of April 10, a shocking news suddenly came from the west:

-- Erdun Mutu, commander of the 51st Army of the Northwest Army of the former Qing Dynasty, suddenly announced the establishment of the North **, and the founding name of the country was the Ili Empire. Not only that, but he also set himself up as emperor. Right now, the enthronement ceremony is being held.

Finally, the long-awaited news of "diverting public attention" from the top management of the Ming Dynasty came.

…… It's just that this news is too serious. The Ming government would rather not divert this attention.

There is no doubt that the Ming Empire can no longer be silent this time. The Ming Dynasty could not afford to lose the north and south of Xinjiang continuously. Besides, in southern Xinjiang, there was already ideological preparation, while in northern Xinjiang, this is simply a slap in the face.

At this moment, Daming, regardless of the authorities or the public, unanimously shouted and shouted to the outside world.

Shen Rongxuan made a public speech, saying that the Ming Empire could not tolerate this open rebellion, and would soon reorganize the army and go to quell the rebellion.

In the eyes of the outside world, it is understandable that the Ming government's attitude towards the north and south of Xinjiang is so diametrically opposed. Behind the southern Xinjiang stands the Soviet Union, which is a behemoth, and everyone will be more worried. And the one in the north is only the commander of the Qing army, with only tens of thousands of people under his command, and he is simply a clown. If the northern frontier is not fought again, the entire north that the Ming Dynasty has just conquered will be unable to be suppressed.

Erdun Mutu also miscalculated this time. He was so scared of Da Ming in advance, and planned to only dare to call himself a khan, at most a king, even if he **. In his opinion, Da Ming is very powerful. And now he has seen with his own eyes that Daming's blatant invasion of the Soviet Union has reached this point. An empire is afraid of war to such an extent, no matter how strong it is, what is there to fear? - But he didn't know that this was originally negotiated.

Erdun Mutu was carried away for a while, brazenly announced**, and simply proclaimed himself emperor.

……

April 18 is the eighth day of the third month of the lunar calendar.

In Beijing, Zhu Yourong presided over a simple wedding for Fourteen Gege and Xiang Xiaoqiang, and it was a military wedding, both of them wore military uniforms, and the wedding was held in the barracks of the armored army that was ready to go and rumbled. This move once again raised the cohesion of Daming's domestic to a new high. At this time, holding such a wedding is also interpreted by many people as "uniting all ethnic groups in the country and uniting with the outside world".

In this expeditionary force, only the 1st Armored Division of the People's Guard Corps was dispatched by the ground combat forces. This unit is currently the most mobile, the most fierce, and the most ferocious in the entire Ming army. However, it is a long way to go to northern Xinjiang, and after getting off the train in Xining, there are still about 2,000 kilometers of highways. Therefore, although the ground combat forces have only one division, the logistics forces are more than ten times larger.

Because the war of reunification had just ended, the entire Ming army was still in a state of efficient warfare, and both the combat system and the logistics system reacted very quickly. From the rebellion of Erdun Mutu on the 10th to the start of the army, it took only eight days.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was also named the "Minister of the Imperial Mission" by Zhu Yourong, representing the empress's "royal expedition". General Xiang Xiaoqiang personally led the 1st Armored Division to the north and destroyed Erdun Mutu.

In addition, because he married a princess, he had to be a marquis as usual. Xiang Xiaoqiang was named "Marquis of Ili", and his nominal fief was in Yili. - The name of Erdun Mutu's country is "Ili Empire", and the general who went to fight him was "Ili Marquis", which is obviously a clamour, meaning: there is you without me, there is me without you.

Fourteen Gege followed Xiang Xiaoqiang. On the one hand, the newlywed Yan'er, whether it is fourteen grids or Xiang Xiaoqiang, is unwilling to separate, on the other hand, it is also useful to bring fourteen grids. Xiang Xiaoqiang is a Han person, Fourteen Gege is a banner person, and the two are a "Manchu and Han couple", no matter who sees it, they will think that this is a symbol of national reconciliation in the Ming Dynasty. Such a Manchu and Han couple marching together can have a good hint to all ethnic groups along the way:

- Don't worry about what nationality is not national! The hatred of the Han and the Manchus is great, right? How are people doing now? So follow Da Ming with all your heart, there will be bread, everything will be there!