Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, it is the golden September. Bayinbrook Prairie ushered in the first autumn after the recovery of northern and southern Xinjiang.

The newly built and large-scale Western Expeditionary Army (Middle Road) battalion on the Bayinbrook grassland has been built. All the grain and grass procured have also been put in place.

The "Songwu Army" led by Zhang Zhen, the governor of Guangdong, has already been stationed in the camp.

It's just a stone's throw from Ili, which is still under Russian occupation. The forward posts of the Songwu army and the Turghut cavalry were only a stone's throw away from the forward posts of the Tsarist Russian army. Whether the sentries on both sides have beards or not, the other can be vaguely recognizable.

This caused great psychological pressure on the invincible Russian occupation forces......

Mid-Autumn Festival. Bayinbrook Grassland ushered in the most mysterious number one person of the Western Expeditionary Army-Zuo Zongtang, the minister of the Qincha, the scholar of Dongge University, the military affairs of Xinjiang, and the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu. At the forefront of the confrontation with the Russian occupation forces, he was to preside over the highest military conference for the recovery of Ili.

This battle is the highest standard since the Western Expeditionary Army entered Xinjiang. The main generals of the Western Expeditionary Army, except for those who had already confronted the enemy directly, were almost all present.

Liu Jintang, assistant to Xinjiang military affairs, and Jin Shun, general of Yili; Admirals Zhang Zhen, Dong Fuxiang, Luo Changhu, Zhang Jun; Chief soldiers Xu Zhanbiao, Huang Wanpeng, Yu Huen, Tan Bacui, Tan Shanglian, Yao Qingen, Li Jian and others were all present. At this time, Xu Xuegong, Kong Cai, etc., had already waved their troops into Sailimu Lake, pointing to the return of the Tsarist army.

What shocked all the participating generals was that Marshal Zuo not only brought dozens of battalions of soldiers from the Hunan Army and the Anhui Army, but also brought his own vermilion coffin.

Zuo Dashuai, who is already sixty-six years old, came to Bayinbrook Grassland with his life coffin; In addition to convening a supreme military conference to recover Ili and finalizing the operational plan for attacking the Russian occupation forces, he was also preparing to do three major things.

1. Inspect the Western Expeditionary Army (Middle Road) Battalion, which is only a stream away from the Russian occupation army; inspect the readiness of Zhang Ji's "Songwu Army" and the Turghut cavalry; Personally surveyed the passage of troops from this point to attack Ili.

2. Worship the spirit of King Buyan Khan in heaven. glorify the merits of the Khan's town; Shocked the morale of the Russian occupation army.

3. Personally escort the official silver 40,000 taels and hand it over to the Turghut tribe. It is used to collect separated people and restore livelihoods......

Zuo Dashuai came to the vast prairie where Zhong Lingyu was beautiful, and looked at the winged eagle hovering and soaring on the top of the snow-capped mountain. Naturally, I was reminded of that stirring and unforgettable moment three years ago...... In a trance! In addition to being relieved, King Buyan Khan is still discussing strategies to resist the enemy, explaining in detail the importance of Xinjiang, and then asking the trust of the country; The resolute and strong demeanor is no different from the all-night talk in Beijing.

At the grand memorial ceremony, the huge elegy of Zuo Dashuai's personal inscription was particularly eye-catching:

Loyal to the sun and the moon to protect the country and the royal kou smiled on the battlefield,

Righteous courage moves the edge of Qiankun Town to deter the enemy, and a generation of heavenly arrogance and heroism will last forever!

Zuo Dashuai personally picked up the wine jar and poured three bowls of wine. Raising his wine to the sky, he said loudly:

"This first bowl of wine! On behalf of the imperial court, the Khan King was told to the spirit of the Khan: the homeland in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains has been recovered, and Kokand Aquba and the British mercenary thieves have been wiped out. The Khan's long-cherished wish has come true! …… This second bowl of wine. Sacrifice to the Khan: The imperial court has allocated a huge amount of silver taels to help the Turkut tribe collect the scattered people, reorganize their livelihoods, and strive for prosperity again. Heroic Soul Peace! …… This third bowl of wine! Sacrifice to the spirit of the Khan King in the sky: protect my army in the west, and collect Ili again! ”

Zuo Dashuai, who is close to ancient times, made a solemn oath in front of the Khan King's Spirit:

"The spirit of the Khan King is here. The Russians did not dare to step into the Bayinbrook steppe for half a step! Now the old decay carries the coffin on the side of the Khan King. If the Russians have a bad intentions, the demand for Ili will definitely break; The old man should lead the people to move forward and smash the Russian army camp. The land cannot be abandoned, and the soldiers cannot be stopped! If you don't return to Ili, you will not return to your hometown! If you die, you are willing to sleep in the steppe with the king of Khan and deter the enemy together! ……”

The Tsarist Russian army not far from the opposite side is like an abyss! Trembling and preparing for battle.

General Krpakovsky, commander of the Tsarist occupation forces in Ili, after hearing the report; He also personally came to the forward position to inspect the situation.

He was in the telescope and witnessed this spectacular scene! His expression was gloomy, and his heart was uneasy.

His adjutant Luo Ban asked suspiciously, "General! The Chinese army seems to be honoring someone who has died? Who are they commemorating? ”

Krpakovsky sighed, "They commemorate a man who terrified Aguba and the British; He was the king of the Buryan Khan of the Turghat tribe...... If it weren't for the existence of the Turgot tribe and this Buryan Khan; Twelve years earlier, Ili had already been in the pockets of Aguba and the British. At that time, we had not yet come to our senses. ”

Loban was still puzzled, "How can a small Mongol tribe withstand the frantic attack of five well-equipped legions and tens of thousands of horses by Aguba and the British?" Is it really incredible? ”

"Before China's Western Expeditionary Army marched into Xinjiang; More than half of the men and horses lost by the Aguba and the British were killed by this Turgot tribe. Therefore, Aguba and the British hated this Turgot tribe to the core! Several times sent agents to assassinate this Buryan Khan; But it didn't work out. This not only caused them to lose their troops, but also disrupted their entire war plan and completely changed the course and direction of the war! ”

"Then we are facing more than just China's regular army as an offensive threat. And the Turghut cavalry? ”

"Yes! …… So, Berkhuri these people; For us, there is still a certain use value. He should have hated the same thing as his father Khan, and that was Turgot. For the one who took the life of his father Khan should be Turghut. This can be proved by the inference of Major Kuropatkin......"

Luo Ban pointed to the majestic procession of the Sacrifice Soul Oath in front of the Khan King's Spirit, and the dense array of cannons placed on one side, and said in great shock:

"General, look! The rifle they are equipped with is the same standard Bodan rifle as ours. Their artillery is all German Krupp field guns...... They're just showing off. It's intimidating us! If we add the 30,000 troops at Lake Selim, and the tens of thousands of horses in the upper reaches of Turks; Their army of 100,000 has already encircled Ili on three sides. This giant encirclement, like a huge pincer-shaped pocket, contained the entire Ili inside. This is possible, it is the most powerful 'Tianmen Array' in Chinese legends, right? …… Will we be able to hold off their attacks? ”

Krpakovsky did not immediately answer the questions of his subordinates, and the expression on his face became even heavier...... He suddenly asked Loban:

"In front of us. What do you really see? ”

Luoban was stunned! Not understanding what he meant, he replied casually:

"General! What I saw was a huge number of tens of thousands of Chinese troops; And their extraordinarily advanced equipment! ”

"Nope! No! What I want you to see is the red woodwork on one side of that huge couplet. ”

"Oh! Checkmate! It was like a red Chinese coffin......"

"Hmmm! Right! Do you know who this should be for? ”

Luo Ban shook his head blankly, "I don't know! Shogun! ”

When Krpakovsky finished his observation and turned around, he left two words that his subordinates did not understand:

"That coffin was prepared for himself by their Zuo Dashuai. This coffin speaks for itself! This is a military man having a conversation in his own way. It's their left commander who is warning me! ……”

As soon as the Supreme Military Council on the Bayingbrook Prairie ended; Liu Jintang and Jin Shun respectively led the generals from all walks of life and immediately rushed to the South Road Camp in Aksu Wushi and the North Road Camp in Ili Sailimu Lake. The military campaign to regain Ili began.

From this time on, the former officers and men of the Western Expeditionary Army (Middle Road) Battalion and the Turghut cavalry practiced day and night in the Bayinbrook grassland. The black-pressed artillery group directly pointed the muzzle of the cannon at the barracks and forward positions of the Tsarist Russian army.

Liu Jintang's Western Expeditionary Army (South Road) of more than 30,000 troops crossed the Western Tianshan Mountains from Aksuush and set up camp in the upper reaches of the Turks River on the south side of the Ili River Valley. Ready to pounce on the defensive positions of the Tsarist occupation forces in the middle and lower reaches of the Turks River.

More than 30,000 elites of Jin Shun's Western Expeditionary Army (North Road) left Sailimu Lake and advanced to the line of Guozigou. Overlooking the entire Ili River valley from the north side, ready to rush down the mountain at any moment; Block the return route of the Russian occupation forces, block the enemy's supply lines and reinforcements, and achieve encirclement on all sides.

At this time, the size of the western expeditionary army increased by more than two percent compared with the period when the Aguba invasion army and British mercenaries were swept up a year earlier; The Gobi Desert on the grain road is still full of camel bells and people and horses.

These officers and soldiers from all over the country speak a variety of hometown dialects such as Xianghuai, Fujian and Guangdong, Central Plains, Northeast China, and Qilu; While vigorously preparing for war, he opened canals to divert water and reclaimed wasteland. Help the local people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang who have just escaped from the sea of suffering to rebuild their homes.

This time. Appeared in the vast land north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, "the generals have not yet returned the border, and the children of Huxiang are full of Tianshan." The newly planted willow is 3,000 miles, attracting the spring breeze to cross the jade pass. "The magnificent landscape reached its climax!

In the Ili River Valley, in this huge encirclement laid by the army of the Western Expedition. The more than 20,000 Tsarist Russian occupation troops are on the verge of despair in the face of more than 100,000 well-equipped Chinese troops who are condescending on three sides and waiting for them! It feels like you've gone to hell; It's all sad day and night! ……

On the twentieth day after the completion of the "Ritual of the Sacrifice of the Souls" on the Bayinbrook Meadows. Milyukin (Minister of the Russian Army) and Gers (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia), who were preparing to attend the Tsar's Imperial Council in St. Petersburg, received a secret telegram from General Krpakovsky at the same time:

"China's more than 30,000 elite troops have moved south from the south of Sailim Lake north of Ili, intending to cut off the supply lines and retreat channels of our 'Ili Garrison Army'. The Chinese army, with a total strength of more than 100,000, has now formed a situation of encirclement of the entire Ili River valley from the north, Bayinbrook in the center, and the Turks River valley in the south.

"These armies are well-equipped and well-stocked. Defeat the forces of the Aguba army and the British mercenaries together, and our army will not be able to withstand the onslaught of its attack. Especially in the direction of Nalati, the commander of the Chinese army, Zuo Zongtang; He has led tens of thousands of Hunan troops and Huai army elites with the strongest combat effectiveness to sit in Yanqi City and Baluntai Fortress. and personally went to the Bayinbrook Grassland to inspect the front-line troops; He also brought his own coffin with the army.

"This is enough to prove the determination of the Chinese government to recover Ili strongly! Its mighty vanguard army and Turghut cavalry had set up camp in the Bayinbrook steppe; Form a confrontation with our army. The sentinels of the two armies, separated by only a few tens of meters. I can conclude that this should be the main direction of attack of the Chinese army. Just wait for Zuo Zongtang's order! These fierce cavalry teams will pour down from the alpine steppes of Bayinbrook. Our army will have no danger to defend, and it will surely collapse on all fronts! ……

"The Ili region, which includes Turks and Nilek, and the Bayingolin region, which includes the Greater and Lesser Yuldus grasslands; For thousands of years, it has been the territory of the Chinese. A hundred years ago, the leader of the Turks, Wobasi Khan, led his troops from the banks of the Volga River to China; These places became the fiefdoms of the Mongols of Turghut.

"The reason why Agubai's army and the British mercenaries failed to storm the Ili General's Mansion and quickly conquer Xinjiang during the peak period of the army; It was due to the stubborn resistance of the Turgot tribes. forced Aguba and the British to change the direction of the strategic offensive, thereby completely changing the course of the war......

"Now that we occupy Ili, we will have to face not only the regular army of the Chinese government, but also the brave and warlike Turghut cavalry. The latter's will to fight, combat effectiveness and familiarity with the local mountain topography, as well as the degree of hatred for our army are significantly stronger! Because what we occupy is the pasture on which they live......

"Previously. During the six months in Xinjiang, Major Kuropatkin's Russian mission not only visited the barracks of Aguba's 'Hongfu Khanate,' but also visited the Bayinbrook Mountains, which the Turkut tribes had been holding onto. The major's mission, together with Colonel Przhevalsky's Xinjiang expedition, deduced the possibility of a war between the tsarist army and the Chinese army at Ili; The conclusion is the same as I have described above.

"The cause of Aguba's death, which is of great interest in the country, is still uncertain. Two weeks before Aguba's death; Major Kuropatkin is still discussing with him the demarcation of the border between the two countries. At that time, Aguba was in good health, and he still had confidence in the battle situation. He firmly believed that the strong support and mediation of the British would soon bear fruit, and the Chinese would soon withdraw their troops.

"He once protested to the major: our country is supporting the Chinese army in launching an attack on his army! For example, our businessmen are providing military rations to the Chinese army. Therefore, Major Kuropatkin believes that the cause of Aguba's death could never be the 'violent death' as the British and Ottoman media said or the 'suicide by poisoning' as the Chinese official said. The claims that he was murdered by his own son and other people who pretended to be 'khan' and died of alcoholism are also not credible.

"According to the Major's inference, 'fighting to death' is the most likely. And it could never be someone under him who killed him, it must be Chinese! But Chinese officials have explicitly denied this, calling it 'self-inflicted suicide'. It shows that Aguba's death has nothing to do with the assassination of the Chinese army, and the assassin should be among the Chinese people.

"And around Korla, the capital of Aguba, the only ones who dare to confront Aguba's 'Hongfu Khanate' head-on, and have the courage and strength to approach and assassinate Aguba, are the only tribes of Turghut. After all, the hatred between the Turgot tribe and the Aguba is also the deepest. The major concluded: the Mongol warriors of the Turghut tribe assassinated him - although there is no direct evidence.

"Judging from the current situation. Our continued possession of Ili cannot be justified; There is no chance of winning a war. Once defeated, not only will China's thousands of kilometers of border with China be affected and plunged into turmoil; The borders of the empire in Europe would also be coveted again by the British, French, Ottoman and German empires, and they would be in danger.

"Major Kuropatkin as a special envoy and Colonel Przhevalsky as the leader of the Xinjiang expedition, through more than half a year of field investigation and strategic research and judgment; Their views are consistent with mine. Although we are very clear about the strategic value of Yili and have inseparable feelings; But we must abandon Ili!

"However, they have also boldly proposed their own solution: to demand that the Chinese government pay 10 million pounds in 'protection fees' over the past few years as compensation. This was a prerequisite for the return of Ili.

"In view of the above. In order to preserve the strength of our 'Ili Garrison' and maintain the dignity of the empire; And to take into account as much as possible not to create a fierce conflict with the eastern powers, so as to avoid adverse effects on the periphery of the empire. We believe that it would be wise to return Ili to the Chinese government after obtaining benefits in an appropriate manner......

"In order to be able to temporarily contain the offensive of the Chinese army; I have ordered the remnants of the Berkhuri, the second Great Khan of the 'Hongfu Khanate', who had retreated to our territory, and the remnants of the Aqimuhan army, who had been defeated by the self-proclaimed 'Great Khan' and Berkhuri, to move to the rear of the Chinese army in three separate directions. It was intended to harass and disrupt the fragile rear supply lines of the Chinese army, causing great confusion in order to dissipate the strength and morale of the Chinese army.

"Among them: On the first road, the Aqimuhan men infiltrated in the direction of Aksu's Ush, waiting for an opportunity to attack. On the second road, Patila's men and horses infiltrated in the direction of Kashgar, waiting for an opportunity to attack. The actions of the above two groups of men and horses can form a containment on the Chinese army (Liu Jintang's department) on the southern route besieging Ili......

"Berkhuri on the third road, personally led some of the men and horses, and has disguised himself as a team of Chinese merchants and horses, and set off from Ili. Prepare to follow the north side of the Tianshan Mountains, covertly pass through Jinghe, Wusu, Manas, Urumqi West Mountain, Nanshan, and cross the Bingdaban of the Middle Tianshan Mountain; Raid the central chain of command of the Turghut tribe currently based in the Wolf Valley in the Bayingolin region. The head of the tribe is to be decapitated.

"This very bold long-distance battle plan was drawn up by Berkhuri himself. Because after meeting with Major Kuropatkin, he learned that the most probable cause of his father's death was closely related to the Mongol tribes of Turgot. His second brother, Khdakör, had also been killed in battle with the Turghut cavalry ten years earlier. He vows to avenge the death of his father, Aguba, and his younger brother, Kdakkel.

"After the completion of this plan. Berkhuri is ready to join forces with the men and horses who are waiting to meet them at Jinghe. The baggage battalion of the Chinese army in Jinghe was completely destroyed! This is equivalent to stabbing a knife in the back of the Chinese Northern Route Army (Jin Shun's Division) besieging Ili......

"I didn't stop the plan – even though it was less likely to succeed and the risk was high. But I think this is a bold attempt to contain the Chinese army (especially the Bayingolin Middle Route Army personally commanded by Zuo Zongtang); It is also a relatively effective means of response. This kind of action, although it cannot completely change the situation on the battlefield; However, it will more or less play a certain role in alleviating the pressure faced by our 'Ili Garrison Army'. Even a complete defeat will not have any adverse effect on the survival of our army.

"The above actions. It's just to use the blood of these people in Berkhuri to slow down the pace of the Chinese army's attack! It is absolutely impossible for a fundamental reversal of the battlefield situation to occur because of this. We cannot harbor unrealistic illusions about such actions. Therefore, I prudently suggest: negotiate with the Chinese government as soon as possible; After claiming the benefits, return them to Ili...... Commander of the Ili garrison in Tsarist Russia: Krpakovsky. ”

With the recovery of the north and south of Xinjiang. During the period when Jinhua Hatun took the little Khan king to Kobdo Province to collect the separated people; According to Hadun's prior arrangement, Lama Zabutai and Lama Mucheng had already begun the huge project of rebuilding the Yamen of the League Office and the tribal camp in Harmodun with the craftsmen of the tribe.

The design of these major projects was carried out by tribal craftsmen, herdsmen, and lamas. Catherine and Xu Xueying were also involved.

On the ruins of a large tribal camp destroyed by the invading army of Aguba ten years ago. The bustling construction team is busy working day and night......

In addition to the generals such as Battle, Sanji Meiren, and Li Jie Kundu, who led the cavalry team, continued to cooperate with the Western Expeditionary Army to camp Bayinbrook and prepare for the recovery of Ili; The rest of the tribes successively moved from the Heavenly Wolf Valley to the original grazing lands of Halmodun and the banners and sumu.

The people who had been evacuated to Kobdo, Tacheng and other places and to other places also began to gradually return to the tribe.

The new tribal camp and the yamen of the League Office, the Mongolian Hospital, the Ordnance Institute, and the supplies stood at the same time as Halmodun rose from the ground; A new "Boy Scout Training Camp" and a "Tribal School" were also built at the same time......

The sheep all over the mountains and fields have returned to the winter pastures of the eleven-year absence-Yanqi Plain. A large number of old and new yurts gradually began to spread like scattered pearls on both sides of the Kaidu River at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains and around Bosten Lake. However, the seemingly spectacular cattle and sheep transfer team is actually less than a quarter of that year.