Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

On the Jiaqing Emperor's side, after sending Solovyov back, he summoned the ministers of the Grand Council, as well as Songjun, the Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall and former General of Yili.

“Your Majesty, if this is true, Samsak has always lived in Bukhara, not in Kokand. It seems that there is no trouble in the southern border regions.”

After Tuojin said this, Dong Gao remained seated to the side without saying a word.

Tuojin, Lu Yinpu, and Zhang Xu spoke first, as Jiaqing wanted to hear the opinions of the Grand Councilors.

"What you say, sir, may be a momentary opinion, but the fact that the descendants of the Great Khoja are in exile is ultimately a calamity. In all parts of the Hui region, people follow the religious leader, and this is true not only in the Hui region but also in other parts of the northwest."

"Lord Lu, what is your opinion?"

"It would be better to lure them, following the precedent set in the early years of the Jiaqing reign."

"Your Majesty, I do not know much about the affairs in the Northwest. However, we should nip the problem in the bud. The Russian envoy's opinion has some merit. It would be better to issue orders to the Rut and Kazakh tribes and have General Changling of Ili handle this matter. The matter still needs to be discussed, but preparations must be made. Grain can be stored in the Ili River Valley. This is a comprehensive strategy to consolidate the Northwest territory."

The reason Zhang Xu spoke in this way was quite simple.

Although Solovyov is an outsider, he is somewhat biased towards people in his own circle because Pan Youwei, the second brother of the current head of the Guangzhou business community, is the same age as him.

Dong Gao was still thinking. He sat there without saying a word, but he wasn't asleep either. He was weighing the pros and cons.

"What does Elder Dong think?"

Emperor Jiaqing still respected him greatly, after all, he had worked in the Grand Council for more than 30 years, served as the head of the Grand Council for many years, and was a senior official, so he was addressed in this way.

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the three ministers' words each have their merits. However, General Changling of Ili knows little about Samsak's sons and their circumstances. It would be better to go to Kyakhta and inquire with the Russian officials, asking both sides. Merchants from Bukhara and Kokand often travel to Ili, so we can also ask them. After all, Samsak is the son of the Great Khoja, and the people of Baishan probably have some expectations of him. Changling should not only prepare for military affairs, cultivate land, and train troops on the border, but also gather information."

"What Dong Zhongtang said is absolutely right."

The four from the Military Intelligence Bureau spoke, but former Military Intelligence Bureau Chief Song Yun didn't say much.

Officials are all speculating about the emperor's thoughts; it's not just Songjun's family.

"Songjun, what do you think?"

"In my opinion, it would be better to send someone to ask the Russian envoy. Since he has had many dealings with the envoys of Bukhara, Khiva, and Kazakhs, he must know some inside information."

"I share the same thought, Songjun."

"The minister is here."

"Go and ask questions on my behalf, specifically about the descendants of Samsak."

Although the Emperor had asked before, he had only heard the gist of it.

Each minister, and foreign envoy, has a limited time before the monarch.

It's impossible for Jiaqing to question him all day long, and there were some loopholes to talk about before.

After receiving the order, Songjun headed straight for Prince Qing's residence.

Solovyov switched to a different sport today; he took up archery.

The last-ranked Baturu of the Qing Dynasty probably used a bow at a level similar to that of his son Pasha.

But Pasha had never touched a bow and arrow before, even though Solovyov had practiced on his own.

Princess Guren Hexiao found it amusing that the father and son had actually found a place to practice archery, so she decided to test their skills.

"Does Your Highness also want me to test the bow?"

"Since the general can command 200,000 troops on the battlefield, he must be exceptionally brave."

"Your Highness is too kind. In Western warfare, guns and cannons are the primary weapons used in battle, and bows and arrows are rarely used. Although I have some martial arts training, I learned archery from the Kalmyks."

What are Kalmyks?

"There are still quite a few Torgut tribe members who returned east but were blocked in their original locations. When I was leading troops outside, I selected several hundred skilled archers and horsemen to serve as scouts, and they have repeatedly achieved meritorious service."

"If that's the case, then you must be able to draw the bow too?"

"Your Highness, I don't know if this is accurate, but I can still use the Nine-Force Bow."

"What about the Ten-Strength Bow?"

"Is Your Highness able to open it?"

"exactly."

Princess Guren Hexiao was already dressed in hunting attire. She had her maid bring her a bow, nocked an arrow, and immediately hit the target.

"Good archery skills."

Solovyov was a little sweaty after seeing this; this princess was quite formidable, still possessing such skill at 41 years old.

No wonder Emperor Qianlong liked her so much, and she also had a fierce and shrewd side.

"Then I shall make a fool of myself."

The princess handed him the arrow, and Solovyov drew his bow to its fullest extent and shot an arrow. Although the accuracy wasn't great, it pierced the target.

"I don't know how?"

"Does the general also charge into battle and kill the enemy?"

“When we lead troops, we do not rely on brute force to win, but rather on a well-organized formation and courage. We use firearms more often, so we have never used bows and arrows.”

However, this arrow, though the bow was drawn to its fullest extent and the force of the arrow was considerable, was not very accurate.

He wanted to talk to the princess, but Songjun arrived at that moment.

"Greetings to the Tenth Princess."

"Rise, Lord Song. Have you greeted the Seventeenth Prince?"

"I had already met the Prince when I entered the manor."

"My lord, what brings you to the manor?"

"On behalf of the Emperor, I have come to inquire about Your Excellency's words."

"Since it was my elder brother who ordered you to come, I should naturally avoid the situation."

She was very sensible and quickly retreated outside the garden.

She also took Pasha with her; she quite liked the boy, since she didn't have a son of her own, and a foreigner's son was so much fun.
"I wonder what His Majesty has summoned Lord Song to inquire about?"

"I came specifically for the matter of Samsak."

"His Majesty is still worried about the Hui people, but he spoke at length about it that day and could not go into too much detail. Lord Song, please come inside with me."

The small courtyard left for his family is usually quiet and secluded.

These past few days have also seen the arrival of winter, so there's naturally been less travel. "Lord Song, Samsak has three sons, as I believe the Emperor is aware of. Reports from the border may not always be true. Samsak himself is timid and cowardly; Kokand dared not take him in, so he naturally fled to Bukhara. He has three sons: the eldest, Yusup, is in Bukhara; the second, Zhangger; and the youngest, is in Afghanistan, near India, whose name I do not know. Although these people claim to be descendants of a saint, they may deceive others, but they cannot deceive me."

"Does the general know the inside story?"

"This argument begins with the founding of Islam in the Hui region. The descendants of the Prophet mostly reside in the Holy Land or in Mesopotamia. Although the elders of Persia followed the lineage of Hussein, the second son of Ali, they disappeared after the twelfth generation."

As for explaining the series of reasons, Songjun knew that he was definitely an expert in this area.

Moreover, they even explained in great detail why the Hui troops were fighting in such a state.

That is to expel a bunch of superstitious believers who know nothing, launch a jihad, and their fighting strength is not very strong.

Therefore, even with the best soldiers selected, they were no match for Zhao Hui in the Blackwater Camp; they were terrified of fighting him.

From West Asia all the way to the heart of Central Asia, many people fight at this level, and Solovyov has always despised such military groups.

However, they were also particularly prone to causing trouble, from the Ottoman Empire to the Persian Empire, then to the several khanates and emirates in Central Asia, and finally to the Mughal Empire, which is now huddled around Delhi.

The Ottoman Empire fared somewhat better, as it was able to withstand several rounds of attacks from European countries.

As for their respective religious leaders and the situation of the Black Mountain and White Mountain factions, Solovyov was able to say a few things.

"What does the general think?"

"His Majesty's intention is to find out more about the situation before making a decision. However, if someone takes advantage of this in the future, then Emperor Qianlong's worries will become a reality."

"Why does the general speak like this?"

"When Emperor Qianlong was alive, he wanted to arrest Yi and others because he was well aware of the people's conditions in the Hui region. If they could be educated, then the likes of Da Khoja would not be able to cause harm in the future. However, he was worried that if the world changed, or if a small country like Kokand with wolfish ambitions would want to take advantage of them. Moreover, if someone from the Hui region were to flee abroad and not understand Chinese laws, they would certainly get into trouble. The General of Yili and the counselors and ministers in charge of various affairs also had to take care of them."

"I have learned a great deal. What you said, General, is truly invaluable."

"Lord Song, you flatter me. Although Kokand is a small country, it has a large population. Moreover, Fergana is a vast and fertile land. If it were to declare itself Khan, it would surely plunder the surrounding areas. We must be on guard."

However, for the Khanate of Kokand, such a state calling itself Khan was merely for its own amusement; for the Qing Dynasty, it always referred to itself as Beg.

But this small country dares to cause trouble and has designs on the Qing Dynasty's territory, especially Kashgar and some border grasslands.

After they joined forces with some Kipchak tribes and took in some herders, they became even more arrogant.

It will inevitably become a scourge in the future, but if dealt with properly, the flames can still be extinguished.

Solovyov's earlier suggestion to the Jiaqing Emperor—that Middle Horde and Kokand belong to the Qing Dynasty, while Khiva and Bukhara belong to Russia—was based on his familiarity with the region and was a decision he made at the end.

After all, the Qing Dynasty levied very low taxes on the Hui people in the northwest, to the point that they only collected some white cloth.

However, problems always arise with local officials, whether they are Achim Beg, other begs, or the dispatched officials.

So much so that even a tiny spark could cause a huge problem.

As for places like Kokand, if a Russian governor were to govern them, probably only Solovyov himself would be able to manage them effectively.

Even someone like Speransky, who was skilled at governing local areas and could formulate laws, would definitely not be able to tolerate the locals if he implemented Russian tax rates.

However, the taxes levied by the Qing emperors on the Hui people and the herders in various parts of northern Xinjiang were far too low.

Even if the officials performed their duties poorly, Songyun himself was aware of it.

He was at least able to manage the area well, reclaiming tens of thousands of acres of land and ensuring the locals had enough to eat and wear, so the people still missed him very much.

But if it were a different official, it might be a different story.

On the Russian side, the tax rate was only slightly better than that of the Central Asian warlords who levied exorbitant taxes.

In addition, the serf system was much better than the slave system in this region. After all, serfs could redeem themselves and become free citizens if they had money, while slaves were captured or bought from various places.

Previously, when this region was invaded, the slave market supplied goods to the Ottoman Empire and Persia, and the slave traders always made a fortune, while the locals suffered great hardship.

Solovyov also spoke about the customs and conditions of Central Asia, and Songjun listened with great admiration, saying he had learned a great deal.

He had to report back to Jiaqing, but after listening, Jiaqing sat there without saying a word.

"The Hui people's past misdeeds have turned out like this?"

"Your Majesty, it is also our fault for being negligent."

“Songjun, I can’t blame you. This is a long-standing problem. If we want the Hui people to know that I am a benevolent ruler, we should still erect steles in important places in the cities of the southern border. However, they should be written in Hui language so that the people know that I am a benevolent ruler who also lightens taxes and corvée.”

Furthermore, they also need to hire a literate person to recite the Emperor's policies during market days.

If anything goes against the Emperor's wishes, one can appeal to the local officials, the princes of the Hui region, and even the General of Yili.

This method reminded Solovyov of the fat man from "The Voice of Rome," who stood on a stool and preached to the passing civilians.

If you do this, it will definitely work.

However, Emperor Jiaqing still did not want to cause a major problem with Samsak.

He simply instructed Changling and the Russian officials in Tarbagatai to communicate more, exchange the intelligence they needed, and submit regular reports to the emperor.

If Emperor Qianlong were here, he would probably have already ordered Changling to prepare the troops and rush to the gates of Kokand to cause them trouble.

After all, that's how they came to call themselves "Khans" and were downgraded to "Burkes".

This is also a kind of path dependence, and it's a pity that Jiaqing didn't do it.

This is also why he is under great financial pressure. The Qing government's silver reserves have finally returned to more than 3000 million taels, which is incomparable to the peak period, and there are too many places where money needs to be spent.

If war were to break out again, there would be many expenses in the Northwest. Although Emperor Jiaqing knew that he should raise the wages of the laborers, the amount of money and grain required was something that Emperor Qianlong could not afford.

When war breaks out in the future, troops will have to be transferred from various places under the jurisdiction of the General of Yili, which will also consume a lot of resources.

The need for money in many areas was a constant source of worry for Emperor Jiaqing.

He realized that if trade were allowed, Russian goods could replace some of the British market share.

Solovyov's demands included a few clauses that could be negotiated, but others that were completely unacceptable.

In the future, it would be feasible to send a few nobles to visit the Russian capital.

But sending an embassy is not an option.

That was his only solution, since although the Qing Dynasty was still relatively wealthy, it couldn't afford to waste resources.

The White Lotus Sect alone is frightening enough.

If the national treasury were to encounter further problems, and the expenditure of silver were to be similar to that of the second and third years of the Jiaqing reign, the Qing Dynasty would find it very difficult to bear.

Although there is no cession of territory or payment of indemnities yet, the outflow of silver is not as severe as it was during the Daoguang era.

But the crisis has already arrived, and we must be prepared. (End of Chapter)