Chapter 203: Russia Refuses to Return Ili

When the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces heard the news, she was also overjoyed, and said: Liu Jintang is wise and brave, surprisingly victorious, and uses his energy to declare the peerless. However, Bai Yanhu rebelled against the bandits, and he was already a wandering soul at the bottom of the kettle, and it would be a pity to slip through the net again.

The Prime Minister's National Affairs Yamen is now discussing the transfer of Yili, and all cases are to be negotiated with the border, and all cases will be prepared by Zuo Zongtang.

After repeated debates between the Prime Minister's National Affairs Yamen and the Russian envoy Bu Zer, Bu Ce always took the border cases as his words, and now the Yamen has agreed with the Yamen that all the matters to be handed over to Ili and the business affairs will be handled by the Russian commissioners and Zuo Zongtang in consultation with them.

The cities on the Northwest Road are adjacent to the Russian border, and there are many things to negotiate, and it is slightly inappropriate to handle them. Even if the language is occasionally lost, it is enough to open up suspicions.

Subsequently, all the cities and Russians negotiated incidents, and there were those who could handle them according to the rules and regulations, such as Jin Shun, Erle Hebu, Chelin Dorji, Yinghan, Yinglian, Mingchun, Jin Gui, etc., who were to be handled under the auspices of Zuo Zongtang in advance, and to avoid delays with the right to do the matter.

All the cases of border negotiation were accurately ascertained and properly handled by Zuo Zongtang, and his handover of Ili and all matters that should be done, after the Russian personnel arrived, they would consider the situation and be open and honest with them. The original fold was copied to Zuo Zongtang for reading. This was sent by the five hundred miles of secret letters to Zuo Zongtang, Jin Shun, Erle Hebu, Chelin Dorji, Yinghan, Yinglian, and Mingchun, and passed on to Jin Gui to know it.

Zuo Zongtang received the order, that is, Liu Jintang was prepared, and Jintang took over, and asked the Russian Turkestan Governor Kaufman for Ili and Bai Yanhu on the grounds that most of the western Xinjiang was pacified and Bai Yanhu was not Russian.

The Russians refused to return it, and accused Liu Jintang of indiscriminate search and trespassing, which led to the rise of military rebellion in Russia.

The Russians are scoundrels, Liu Jintang wants to raise troops to take them, Zuo Zongtang does not allow it, and tells Jintang: Russia covets hundreds of thousands of profits from Ili every year, and it will not take it and try to occupy it for a long time. Ask for Yili, and wait for it in many ways; Raise troops to ask for it, the last party.

Zong Tang replied to the Prime Minister Yamen: In terms of the current situation, it is believed that the claim can only be made according to the boundary survey site of the third and eighth years of Tongzhi, and there is no need to dispute too much, so as not to cause controversy. If Ili can be recovered, and the boundary site can be surveyed, and the clean-up can be completed, it will be considered unsatisfactory. If we blindly indulge in arrogance and speak harshly at every turn, it is not only useless, but harmful.

Prince Gong received the letter and discussed with the ministers of military aircraft Shen Guifen, Bao Jun, Jing Lian, Wang Wenshao and others for a long time, but there was no good way to deal with it.

On July 1, 1878, Zongtang sent Jin Shun, the general of Ili, to Almaty to ask for it, and the governor of the Russian Seven Rivers Province, Korpakovsky, first prevaricated the decision of Kaufman, the governor of Turkestan, and then said that whether or not to return Ili was a major matter of the state, and local officials had no right to decide, and such major matters should be handled in the General Administration of the State.

When Zong Tang heard the news, he immediately said: The ministers have repeatedly asked for Ili, but the Russian officials have accused both the Turkish governor and the Russian envoy in Beijing, and used the excuse that all the cases have not been handled. Weichen thought that the return of Ili was a major foreign-related matter of the country, and although the minister had the duty of supervising the military affairs of Western Xinjiang, he had no right to be involved in foreign affairs, and his name was not right, so it was very difficult to undertake such a big task.

The Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces took over and quickly summoned the ministers of military aircraft, and the Empress Dowager Cixi said: Zuo Zongtang's intention is to send a powerful minister to grant full powers, send an envoy to Russia, and ask the Russian emperor for Ili. Zhu Qing thinks, who can take on this heavy responsibility?

Shen Guifen, Minister of Military Aircraft, said; The Empress Dowager of Qiyu, the Emperor of Qiyu, and the general of Shengjing are full of dignity and sincerity, and have served as the Minister of Commerce and Commerce, and are especially familiar with foreign affairs, so they can take on this great responsibility.

Empress Dowager Cixi said: What is the miracle of sublime?

Shen Guifen said: Qi Yu Empress Dowager, Qi Yu Emperor. In the first year of Tongzhi, the Portuguese sent an envoy to exchange the contract, sublime insight into the mystery, and stopped the place of the covenant; After ten years of Tongzhi, Chonghou entered the law alone and returned successfully; Envoy to a country, from the beginning of the reverence.

Empress Dowager Cixi said: Accurate! General Shengjing Wanyan Chonghou is the minister of the envoy to Russia, Russia and our Qing Dynasty, thousands of miles away, Chonghou as a plenipotentiary minister to act cheaply, the imperial court is not remote.

After the decree was issued, the attendant of the Hanlin Academy said that Zhang Peilun was very inappropriate, and said: The Ili River Valley is the territory of our country, and whether it is gained or lost is related to the survival of the western frontier. Chonghou should go to Russia by land, and it is advisable to observe the situation in person, and make a decision with Zuo Zongtang before acting, so that he can know himself and the enemy.

The plenipotentiary minister acted cheaply, and the minister thought that it should also be discussed. If it is both full and cheap, its right is not limited to one thing; If there is a great deal at stake, and the interests have not been examined in detail, the Russians have to make a decision on whether it is okay or not to make a decision with one word, and it is not a pity to make the ministers to blame, such as the overall situation?

The people are cunning and unpredictable, and the slightest mistake on the part of the envoy will surely damage the interests of our country. Wechen thinks that if we are cautious and take precautions in case we see each other, we should be cheap, not in the name of cheap.

The Prime Minister's Yamen is far away from the mountains, and the sea route is convenient.

On November 1, 1878, the minister of the Imperial Mission, Chonghou, purchased a ferry ticket and sailed from Shanghai to St. Petersburg, Russia.