Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Although Emperor Jiaqing did not care much about the matter of harboring a wanted criminal, his father never thought of letting go of Samsak, the second son of the Khoja, until his death, and was still asking the General of Ili to inquire about him.

However, from Mingrui onwards, the successive generals of Yili mainly focused on consolidating the frontier and, ideally, cultivating more land in the region. They also sought to win over the local nobles, officials, and commoners in both southern and northern Xinjiang, and in return, they granted the higher-ups official titles such as Achim Beg and Beg.

There might not be many preferential treatments for the wealthy landowners.

However, the taxes levied on ordinary people were indeed very low.

The trouble stemmed from the fact that the local officials stationed there were often incompetent and oppressive to the local people.

Ultimately, this led to numerous tragedies. It must be said that Emperor Qianlong was petty. After he subdued the Dzungars in the north, there probably wouldn't have been so many problems in the south if it weren't for the two Khoja brothers' self-destructive actions back then.

Then, many of the officials who handled the matter were beheaded for failing to do their jobs properly, and their descendants who had already died were exiled to Ningguta.

Of course, if you still don't surrender, then you'll have to play a match-3 game.

Compared to Emperor Qianlong, Emperor Jiaqing was far inferior in his ability to accomplish tasks.

When they used the skull of the young Khoja as a bowl, Jiaqing was still in his mother's womb, that is, in Consort Ling's belly.

Of course, he had no recollection of this matter whatsoever.

They couldn't understand why their father, the Emperor, cared so much about this matter.

My two brothers didn't remember much about it back then either.

But Solovyov knew that, putting aside other matters, Qianlong should eliminate political enemies like this fickle, ungrateful fool to prevent future troubles.

Otherwise, Zhang Ge'er, Qi Hezhuo, and the real Yaqub Beg who sells ditch will all be quite troublesome in the future.

Moreover, Russia sees Kokand as a troublesome entity, even though it is an ant.

After all, Kokand had already destroyed Tashkent while Solovyov was in the palace following Paul.

After the Khanate of Bukhara became the Emirate of Bukhara, Kokand's power was strengthened. It became aggressive and ambitious among the three powers of the Qing Dynasty, Bukhara, and the Kazakh Khanate.

Because Emperor Qianlong was so terrifying, Kokand was quite docile in previous years.

However, starting from the end of the Jiaqing reign, the situation began to change.

None of the states established by these warlords in Central Asia were human.

They all employed the same rudimentary, swarm-of-rabble tactics used around the time of the Timurid Empire's collapse, and were quite foolish.

If Khalid saw this, he would have to take a couple of sips first, and then say that "jihad" is not fought like this.

As for burning, killing, looting, exorbitant taxes, poisoning the people, and all sorts of bizarre tribal affairs.

If Emperor Qianlong had known that Samsak had eventually gone to Kokand, and that Kokand was the one who called himself Khan, he would have deliberately kept him under his control to cause trouble in the future.

He'll probably raze the Andijan area to the ground too.

Solovyov is about to talk about what the Khanate of Kokand did.

For example, Russia had been trading with the Qing Dynasty in Central Asia through the Tashkent Khanate, and the Kazakh Khan, who was caught between the Qing and Russia at the time, was bullied by Kokand.

In addition, the Khanate of Kokand had some designs on Kashgar, a fact that Solovyov was also aware of.

As for why this is the case?
Who could have been more fortunate than the envoys from Bukhara and Khiva who happened to be living next door when he moved to the summer palace?

Yes, there is such a thing, and he can even edit it.

These are indeed things that Kokand is capable of doing.

Moreover, Zhang Ge'er returned before Emperor Jiaqing died at the Summer Palace.

It went on and on until Zuo Zongtang arrived, and then things finally calmed down.

"In that case, what do you think we should do, Lord Suo?"

"The Celestial Empire and our country should join forces. The Central Kingdom is a vassal state of the Celestial Empire, while Kokand is a small country with wolfish ambitions. In my humble opinion, it would be better to destroy them."

"Suo Qing, your words are far too unrestrained."

"But I'm always leading troops in the field, and this is the only solution I can think of. If Your Majesty offers any reward, that's fine too."

"Well, so you're a businessman, daring to bargain with me. You do know the saying, 'Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king.'"

Of course, Emperor Jiaqing lacked the ability, but he did have some understanding of the situation outside.

“Your Majesty, what I say is true. When Tibet was at its peak, the Tang Dynasty had to unite with various forces to fight against it; we were simply following the example of our predecessors.”

It's just that two major countries were divided up into several smaller countries, which is quite normal in Europe, and even a bit ahead of its time.

However, in the Qing Dynasty, it was a different story.

Emperor Jiaqing approved of this idea, but he couldn't rush it, since it would cost money.

There are still many places to spend money, and this place is still too far away.

However, if something goes wrong, it won't be easy to handle.

"I understand. You still need to go back and inquire about the information and verify the situation."

"When I return, I will certainly investigate carefully. Governor Essen of Orenburg and I both served in the army in the past, and we are very familiar with each other."

Well, that's not an exaggeration. Solovyov is actually still on par with Miloradovich in Suvorov's faction.

Although young, his status was even higher because of his relationship with the Tsar and the Grand Dukes.

However, Emperor Jiaqing did not object, nor did he refute the matter.

But the future of Kokand is probably not going to be too good either.

It is quite clear that the Jiaqing Emperor also had some ideas.

Samsak was taken in by Kokand, and now his descendants are active in Bukhara, Kokand and Kunduz in Afghanistan, and they probably won't settle down in the end.

But if Russia were to launch a military operation, even if the matter were brought to the court, the officials would likely unanimously oppose it.

Emperor Jiaqing was not Emperor Qianlong after all; he did not have such great determination, nor did he possess sufficient prestige and courage.

However, he always wrote down the details of this matter himself and sent the reply to General Yili Changling, instructing him to inquire about the situation of the descendants of the Great Khoja at various ports in Xinjiang, and to build a city near Temurtu Nuur, which is near Lake Issyk-Kul, and station troops there to strengthen control over the Seven Rivers region.

This small outpost can only accommodate a few hundred more Qing soldiers, no more than that.

After all, if the Qing Dynasty needed to mobilize troops, it was too far to travel from the border to Xinjiang.

The presence of several hundred troops in the area is due to the relatively good environment and the generally submissive nature of the Kyrgyz tribes.

When the Qing Dynasty's troops arrived there, they were able to control the area.

Moreover, Emperor Jiaqing will summon Songyun to inquire about this matter later, since he is the newly appointed General of Yili and has some say in it.

Even Emperor Jiaqing did not shy away from showing Solovyov Changling's memorials.

"In my opinion, this is probably not appropriate and may invite criticism from some officials."

"I'm showing you this because I know you're often in the military and must be very familiar with maps. Now point out to me which places on the frontier map are the key points."

Speaking of which, it was Solovyov who contributed the map of Central Asia, which was spread out on the floor of the Hall of Mental Cultivation like a thermometer. "These are the places. Your Majesty, look, the Ili River area is very important. It can be used as a place to store grain for the army, and it must be guarded strictly. If Kokand has ambitions in the future, this will be the place to use our strength. Ten thousand hectares of farmland here are equivalent to an army of 100,000."

"When you commanded troops, what was the largest number of men you ever led?"

“Your Majesty, I once led 200,000 troops in the battle against the French King in Lille. If it were the veteran general Wang Jian of the Qin Dynasty, who led 600,000 troops, it would be beyond my capabilities, and I would also be short of money and supplies. Now that Europe has gone through more than 20 years of war, it is time for it to recuperate and rebuild. Therefore, it is also necessary to resume trade and make peace.”

"If it is about trade, I will grant Russia three ports for trade, both by sea and land, which should be sufficient."

"Although the agreement has not been reached, I, your humble servant, thank Your Majesty on behalf of Your Majesty."

"You are indeed well-versed in both Chinese and Western learning, which I find quite interesting. I just wonder how much you know about other places besides the Uyghur Khanate and Kokand."

This was a test that Jiaqing wanted to give him. Solovyov, being a shrewd man, naturally understood the implications and complexities involved.

"Speaking of which, does Your Majesty know anything about the Ryukyu Islands?"

"But you were the one who allowed Jiang Youxian to smuggle memorials in the past. I knew it was also a way to establish good relations, so I did not punish you."

This has become a problem for Solovyov, but he's also single.

After all, if it were Emperor Qianlong, there might have been other troubles.

The reason why Emperor Jiaqing refused to meet with the British was because of the fact that the British had been so flattering him, and the Russians had been praising him all the way to the capital. It was a matter of time before he could accept their "tribute" or diplomatic missions. These actions would have been very embarrassing for him.

As for Solovyov's direct and presumptuous actions, they seemed more like secret reports, and he even revealed a lot of information to Jiaqing.

Because he is a soldier, he has more military intelligence.

Moreover, having served as acting governor of civil affairs several times in a short period, his knowledge of various aspects was much more detailed than that provided by the missionaries.

Even these contents, with some adaptation, could be directly included in the "Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Qing Dynasty" to talk about foreigners.

Lin Zexu was indeed in the writing group at the time, but he wasn't in charge of this part.

The next thing Solovyov mentioned was about the Orient.

"Your Majesty, the Shoguns of Japan did not control all the daimyo. For example, the Satsuma Domain was an 'outer domain,' unlike the 'close domains' of the Tokugawa clan and the 'heroic domains' who came from the family of retainers. Although the Satsuma Domain was an outer domain, it had always harbored rebellious intentions and therefore invaded Ryukyu."

What followed was quite clear: although the Sho clan kings of Ryukyu respected the Celestial Empire and never stopped paying tribute, the Satsuma Domain had long taken a cut of the trade profits.

Moreover, according to Solovyov's estimate, the country's current situation is already very difficult.

"How could such a disobedient act exist?"

"Your Majesty, Ryukyu has been under the control of Satsuma since the previous dynasty. I learned from the Dutch that they have a trading post in Hirado and are also aware of the situation in Japan."

"I see."

Emperor Jiaqing was quite adept at cultivating his inner strength.

In addition, he has always had a good temper, so he won't get angry.

So what should Japan do?

Solovyov actually has some thoughts, but he won't say them now.

This tactic was the same "deceptive tribute" method frequently used during the Ming Dynasty. He planned to destroy the "retired emperors" of the Satsuma Domain in Ryukyu and replace them with the rule of Ryukyu nobles and thirty-six families of Fujian.

Incidentally, this is probably a good thing for the shogunate as well.

If powerful domains like Satsuma and Choshu are weakened in the future, and the shogunate is still in power, the situation might be better.

After all, the more important thing for the shogunate was to maintain the rule of the Tokugawa family, not to cause trouble.

It would be best if the Meiji Restoration didn't happen.

Solovyov was thinking at this moment that the road ahead was still very long.

He had even considered using the convenience of Ryukyu's ability to pay tribute to the Jianghai and Zhehai customs to act as a middleman in the transshipment business.

Because the Ryukyu Islands had the lowest tariff rates, Qing Dynasty officials generally didn't exploit them much.

Ryukyu was so poor that the Qing Dynasty treated them well.

Solovyov had this in mind, but he also wanted to hear what Jiaqing had to say.

If Emperor Jiaqing gave the word, on his way back, he would have all the Satsuma Domain's envoys in Ryukyu committed seppuku.

However, given Solovyov's methods, he would probably execute them in a dishonorable manner.

While we're at it, let's help Ryukyu reclaim the Amami Islands and weaken the Satsuma Domain as much as possible.

According to Dutch intelligence, the Satsuma Domain had been producing sugar, but lacked food and had exceptionally high taxes.

Under these circumstances, an uprising is inevitable sooner or later.

Emperor Jiaqing did not express any opinion at the moment, but continued to ask him some questions.

Solovyov continued to answer, and Jiaqing was very satisfied.

"I am very satisfied today. Please come, Suo Qing."

Solovyov didn't know what he was going to do, so the Jiaqing Emperor took him to a very small study with a plaque hanging there.

Solovyov was also a little shocked when he saw it.

These are the calligraphy works of the three Wangs collected by Emperor Qianlong, who specially built the "Sanxitang" (Hall of Three Rarities) to house them.

Knowing that Solovyov was quite cultured, Emperor Jiaqing invited him to visit the place and even had the eunuchs carefully bring out the "Timely Clearing After Snowfall" calligraphy scroll, as well as the "Mid-Autumn Festival" and "Bo Yuan" calligraphy scrolls.

"I've long heard of the calligraphy of the Sage of Calligraphy, but this is the first time I've actually seen it."

"I am very satisfied with your report on the situation of various countries. I also know that you, Minister Suo, have always enjoyed calligraphy and painting, so you may take a look here."

Then Solovyov cursed Chiang Kai-shek in his heart for packing up so many good things and taking them to the island.

But at this moment, after cursing inwardly, Jiang Youxian, who is probably Tian Wenjing's great-uncle, would sneeze.

Although he is a member of the Han Eight Banners, his ancestors came from Fenghua.

As for small rewards, there were some. After Jiaqing took him out of the Sanxitang, he rewarded him with a pair of tea bowls from the Qianlong period.

Solovyov received the reward and left after expressing his gratitude.

The aesthetics of these bowls are really not very good; after all, they are just one of those small, showy items from the Qianlong period.

It probably wasn't worth much in the palace, but it's in very good condition, so it could become valuable later.

As for the intelligence he provided, Jiaqing would have to discuss it with the Grand Council.

War is out of the question; intelligence needs to be updated.

Furthermore, trade negotiations with Russia will be held later.

Emperor Jiaqing's intention was also to agree to allow Russia to open up more ports.

As for other matters, that depends on the situation. The Russians will be spending the winter in the capital, so there's no rush. (End of Chapter)