"Your Excellency the Great Mullah, the Chinese are so arrogant that they actually want to destroy the Kokand Khanate. The people of the Kokand Khanate will definitely not sit idly by and watch the destruction of the Khanate, we will fight a bloody battle with the Chinese to the end, so that they can see our strength! The commander-in-chief of the Kokand Khanate, Aguba, said angrily. Niu Zhiyang, the diplomatic representative of the Chinese Empire, was very dissatisfied with his arrogant appearance.

The big mullah Alimukul was also very angry in his heart, but he didn't come out. The Chinese Empire simply deceived people too much, not to mention killing thousands of the people of the Kokand Khanate, and also asking the Kokand Khanate to cede land and pay reparations, which was simply treating the Kokand Khanate as a defeated country.

But in the event of a war, will the Kokand Khanate be able to win? The 2nd Army of the Imperial Chinese Army alone had more than 300,000 troops, and their weapons were so sophisticated that they were not comparable to the Kokand Khanate. Once the war starts, the Kokand Khanate will lose more and win less!

It's just that now the Kokand Khanate seems to have been cornered. The Chinese Empire is menacing this time, and it is obvious that it will not let go of the Kokand Khanate lightly. Kokand Khanate, you have to fight without a fight!

"Aguba, if we fight with the Chinese Empire with all our might, will we be able to win?" Alimukul asked.

"This, Your Excellency the Great Mullah. The strength of the Chinese Empire is very strong, but with the blessing of Allah, we will be able to win! Aguba said. Even the Russians were no match for the Chinese Empire, losing millions of troops, not to mention the Kokand Khanate. The Kokand Khanate, with a population of only 4 million, had only a hundred thousand troops. Even if the army is expanded. The total number of troops was expanded to 200,000, but it still could not be compared with the 2nd Army of the Imperial Chinese Army. Not to mention being the enemy of the entire Chinese Empire.

"Now the Chinese are aggressive, they simply want to annex the Kokand Khanate and even all of Central Asia. We have no way back, only a bloody battle to the end. I don't seek to completely defeat the Chinese Empire, that's impossible. As long as we can defeat the invading Chinese Empire's army, we can take the opportunity to negotiate peace with the Chinese Empire, even if it is at a certain price, and let the Chinese give up annexing us! Alimukul said. Although he is old, he is very wise. He knew that the gap in strength between the Kokand Khanate and the Chinese Empire was too great. If they fought to the death, the ten Kokand Khanates were no match for the Chinese Empire. Therefore, he only wanted to be able to achieve a temporary victory. Then take advantage of the situation to negotiate peace with the Chinese Empire to dispel the Chinese Empire's ambition to annex the Kokand Khanate. In this case, the Kokand Khanate may be able to be saved.

"Your Excellency, Great Mullah, this is difficult. But. We'll try. I believe. With the blessing of Allah, we will be invincible! Aguba said firmly.

Alimukul nodded, but his heart was still very worried. Once the war began, the odds of victory for the Kokand Khanate were too small compared to the mighty Chinese Empire!

Colonel Niu Zhiyang gave the Kokand Khanate only three days to consider. However, three days have passed, and the Kokand Khanate still has not made a clear statement. But. This has already given the Chinese Empire a result of the war.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Empire officially reported that the herdsmen of the Kokand Khanate had crossed the border and seized the pastures of the empire. Killing the people of the empire and declaring war on the Kokand Khanate. Emperor Long Yufei issued an order for the General Staff to dispatch troops to destroy the Kokand Khanate and stabilize the western borders of the Dìng Empire.

The common people of the empire had no objection to this war at all. Many people, even where the Kokand Khanate is, do not know. They only learned in the general newspaper that the Kokand Khanate was nothing more than a small state in Central Asia. A small country with a population of only a few million, but dares to provoke the empire, isn't that looking for death? Almost all the people of the empire believed that the destruction of the Kokand Khanate would not be a matter of much effort in terms of the strength of the empire's army. After all, the empire has been winning victories all these years, and the common people have become numb to it.

Xinjiang Ili, Headquarters of the 2nd Army of the Imperial Army. According to the battle plan that had already been drawn up, the divisions of the 2nd Army of the Imperial Army had already moved into the assigned positions.

"Commander, Commander Liu has arrived in Kashgar. The 7th Infantry Corps is ready! A staff officer reported to the commander of the 2nd Army, Lieutenant General Zhao Mingfu.

"Well, send a telegram to the ministries, and tomorrow, the ministries will start attacking. Destroy the Kokand Khanate in one fell swoop! Lieutenant General Zhao Mingfu slammed his fist on the table. This was the first battle after the establishment of the 2nd Army, and it had to be won in one battle. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a betrayal of the trust of His Majesty the Emperor?

"Yes, Commander!" The staff officer nodded, and immediately went to deliver the order, looking very excited. Soldiers are always eager for war and have made contributions in war.

This time, the generals of the 2nd Army attacked the Kokand Khanate in two ways, and the 5th Infantry Corps, the 3rd Cavalry Corps, the 4th Cavalry Corps, two border cavalry brigades and four border infantry brigades of the Imperial Army led by Lieutenant General Zhao Mingfu, commander of the group army, were the Northern Route Army, with a total strength of about 150,000 troops. The 7th Infantry Corps, 4 frontier cavalry brigades and 6 frontier infantry brigades led by Lieutenant General Liu Wu, chief of staff of the group army, are the Southern Route Army, with a total strength of about 100,000 troops.

The Northern Route Army was to start from Ili and advance westward along the Ili River, bypassing the Chongshan Mountains north of the Fergana Basin, appearing in the western part of the Fergana Basin, and attacking the Fergana Basin from the west. The Southern Route Army was to start from Kashgar and attack the eastern part of the Ferghana Basin directly through the Green Ridge.

The Northern Route Army was the farthest, with a detour of thousands of kilometers. But the terrain along the way was flat, suitable for cavalry attacks. Although the distance of the Southern Route Army is short, it is full of lofty mountains and mountains along the way, and the roads are mostly mountain trails, which are very difficult to travel.

The news of the official dispatch of the 2nd Army of the Imperial Army soon reached the Kokand Khanate. In the northwest of the empire, there were many Russian and British spies. It is far from the hinterland of the Empire, and it is also a weak place for the Empire's Department of Homeland Security and Military Intelligence to be strong. The movement of the Empire's armies cannot be concealed from the surrounding countries.

The British and Russian spies immediately informed the Kokand Khanate of the news when they learned of the relevant news.

"Your Excellency, the army of 200,000 is ready. We can set out at any time and teach those Chinese a hard lesson! "Aguba's face was full of anger, the army of the Chinese Empire had invaded the Kokand Khanate and was invading their country and killing their people.

"Order the troops to go! In any case, find a way to defeat the Chinese offensive. Only in this way will we be qualified to hold peace talks with the Chinese! Alimukul had a solemn expression. This war was very important for the Kokand Khanate. If it wins, it may be possible for the Kokand Khanate to continue to exist. But if it fails, the Kokand Khanate is completely finished.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Great Mullah, I will fight to win!" Aguba assured.

"Did the Bukhara Khanate and the Khiva Khanate respond?" Alimukul asked.

"Your Excellency the Great Mullah, both the Bukhara Khanate and the Khiva Khanate are afraid of the Chinese and dare not join forces with us."

"Those short-sighted guys. After the fall of the Kokand Khanate, how could the Chinese let them go! Alimukul roared angrily. Although the three Central Asian khanates also had deep contradictions with each other, especially the Kokand Khanate and the Bukhara Khanate. Before the establishment of the Kokand Khanate, the Ferghana basin was originally the territory of the Bukhara Khanate. As a result, the Ferghana Basin seceded from the Bukhara Khanate and established its own state, which greatly weakened the strength of the Bukhara.

In Alimkul's view, now that Central Asia is being invaded by foreign enemies, the three khanates should unite to deal with the invasion of the Chinese Empire. In this case, the odds will be greater. However, the Bukhara Khanate and the Khiva Khanate refused to cooperate with the Kokand Khanate, obviously wanting to watch the Kokand Khanate be destroyed.

The news of the Chinese Empire's advance into Central Asia did not have any impact on the whole world. For the Western world, Central Asia is nothing more than an uncivilized barbarian land, and there is no big deal. Instead of worrying about the war in Central Asia, it is better to pay attention to when the Suez Canal will be opened, and how the interests of various countries in the canal will be distributed after it is opened.

Only Britain and Russia paid attention to this war. If the Chinese Empire had annexed Central Asia, it would pose a direct threat to Russia and the British colonies in India. Therefore, Britain and Russia went to great lengths to help the Kokand Khanate, and did not hesitate to sell weapons to the Kokand Khanate at a low price, in order to give the Kokand Khanate the strength to resist the invasion of the Chinese Empire.

On July 6, 1849, 250,000 troops of the Imperial 2nd Army crossed the border and entered the Kokand Khanate. The army marched in two directions, all the way into a no-man's land, and was not hindered at all.

In the face of the invasion of the Chinese Empire, the Kokand Khanate seemed to have given up resistance. However, according to the information from the Empire's Military Intelligence Agency, the Kokand Khanate has reduced its forces to the Ferghana Basin, where it is ready to meet the imperial army.

For the Kokand Khanate, the Ferghana Basin was the most important place, the core of the Kokand Khanate. Eighty percent of the country's population lives in the Ferghana Basin, and if the Ferghana Basin is preserved, the Kokand Khanate will have a chance to rise again. Otherwise, the Kokand Khanate would fall.

Before the war, the Kokand Khanate had only a hundred thousand troops, almost all of them cavalry. After the Chinese Empire threatened the Kokand Khanate, the Kokand Khanate once again conscripted more than 100,000 people, bringing the total size of the army to 200,000. (To be continued......)

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