Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

After their great victory in Tashkent, the Russian army rested and regrouped here.

This was also because supplies had become very difficult to obtain within the Khanate of Kokand due to the plundering by Muhammad Umar Khan's ministers.

Now, the only option is to have the Kazakh herders bring out their cattle and sheep, which is enough to sustain them for a while, but they will still need to requisition some more from nearby areas.

So Baron Essen sent someone to Haidar to purchase grain. Haidar dared not offend Russia, and besides, the Russian envoy was very polite, so there was nothing to say about etiquette.

The important thing is that the Russian bills of exchange can be cashed through banks in Moscow and can also be used to purchase goods imported from Russia.

In addition, Russia also hopes to open bank branches and trading posts in Bukhara.

Haidar was very clever in this regard; he did not refuse, but instead focused on discussing the current situation of the Russian army purchasing food.

He also knew that there would be some difficulties with supplies from Russia.

In this way, Bukhara will be temporarily free from Russian interference.

However, when it comes time to cash this bill of exchange, there might be some trouble.

Bukhara, unlike the Thirteen Factories, was very familiar with the use of bills of exchange.

The Russians thus obtained the grain, but Haidar also kept a backup plan.

He quickly sent messengers to Kokand to inform Muhammad Ali, whose throne was not yet secure, that the Russians were currently short of food.
In short, if Kokand and Russia were to fight each other to the bitter end, and one side were to suffer a heavy blow, it would benefit the Emir of Bukhara.

The only possible failure of this plan is if Russia becomes too powerful and defeats Kokand in one fell swoop.

Haidar's messenger arrived in Kokand, but instead of Muhammad Ali, he found only the tomb of Muhammad Omar. The Kokand army fled from there to Andijan, taking with them the city's grain and treasures.

After all, the Russians stopped in Tashkent, only sending a small number of cavalrymen to patrol outside the capital of Kokand, and did not even bother with Namgan and Andijan.

The envoy continued eastward and finally encountered the army of Muhammad Ali Khan outside the city of Andijan.

These Kokand troops still looked very fierce and seemed unaffected by the initial defeat in Tashkent.

However, the envoy also noticed that although the Kokand army outside Andijan was carrying various muskets, their gunpowder flasks seemed to be lacking in gunpowder.

The situation was not optimistic, but adhering to the principle of sacrificing one's friend rather than oneself, the messenger still told Muhammad Ali Khan that the Russian army and their Kazakh servants were short of food and were staying in Tashkent waiting for food to be sent from the rear.

Muhammad Ali Khan breathed a sigh of relief, but if his father were still alive, he would probably be furious with his choice.

"Now that the terrible Russian army has stopped, let's deal with the Emperor's army!"

Although the ministers were a bit dim-witted, they knew that the Chinese emperor's army, even now that it was weakened, was still a formidable force, and many of the generals who had crossed the snow-capped mountains back then were still alive.

Even the intelligence given to them by the Kazakh herders indicated that the Qing army numbered at least 8,000 and had built fortifications along the river to control various crossing points.

But Muhammad Ali Khan felt that there was no way to deal with the Russians, and now he just wanted to go east to avoid the Russian army's attacks.

The Russians would never, under any circumstances, send their troops into the territory ruled by the Chinese emperor.

As for what comes next, it is Muhammad Ali Khan who will accomplish what the previous Khans were unable to do. His goal is to seize the former territories of the Chagatai Khanate and the Yarkand Khanate.

That's a good idea, but does he have the ability to do it?

Moreover, in the Great Horde to the north, not only did the Qing army come out to the front this time, but there were also Kazakh herdsmen patrolling and assisting, and some more Qing troops were coming to Ili.

For the Khanate of Kokand, launching an attack on the Qing army in the north was unwise.

If they were to cross the mountains now and follow the example of Sayyid Khan of the Yarkand Khanate to deal with Ababel in the Six Cities, they might still be able to cause some trouble in southern Xinjiang.

However, given the fighting strength of the Kokand army, it would probably be difficult to deal with the Qing army in southern Xinjiang, which only knew how to lie in a hole.

But there are always some feasible solutions, and Muhammad Ali did not go from Andijan to that side, but instead turned north.

These ministers, now forced to go with him, gathered weapons and ammunition from Namugan and Andijan, finally filling the gunpowder jars with gunpowder and some of their own prepared ammunition.

However, the types of ammunition are also varied, including not only lead bullets, but also any sphere that can be inserted into the chamber of a gun as a projectile.

As for food, it's alright.

However, those who smuggle marijuana in Central Asia always carry their "guns" with them.

With an army like that, it would be strange if they could win a battle if they encountered trouble.

On the Qing army's side, Qingxiang and Changling were unaware of this matter. They were currently only stockpiling food and fodder. It was still late summer and early autumn, and they did not need manure or wood for heating. Therefore, the camp was mostly filled with food and ammunition.

They were just watching the show from the sidelines, and had been in contact with Baron Essen. News of his garrison in Tashkent and his preparations to advance into Kokand had already reached them.

The Qing army could have simply stayed put, but they never expected that Muhammad Ali Khan would dare to come and cause such a commotion.

It wasn't until the Kazakh herders were active on the banks of the Talas River that they discovered the Kokand people were coming.

The Qing army thus went into battle preparedness. The Khanate of Kokand made no attempt to conceal themselves, and their marching column included carriages carrying the imperial court, which circled around the Kharabula Ridge and headed towards the Qing army.

This matter was quite unexpected, but Changling remained calm. After all, he was a man who had seen big battles before, including formidable and troublesome opponents like the White Lotus Sect.

So he reorganized the camp and ordered Qingxiang to guard it, while he led the Solon soldiers forward to scout the situation.

As a result, the Kokand army, which had crossed the mountains and was heading towards the Talas River, formed a long, single-file line.

These Soren soldiers, while perhaps not as powerful as Gundams like Hylancha, were still very brave, and some were experienced veterans.

"My lord, we will circle around from behind and attack their central army from a high vantage point. This will surely throw them into chaos. Their ranks are full of livestock and carts, and the soldiers are marching in disarray. It is the perfect time to kill the bandits."

The elderly man clutched a pair of binoculars, the most common piece of equipment exported from Russia to the Qing Dynasty and distributed to Manchu and Han officers of all ranks, even more widespread than revolvers. Looking at the ranks, he realized the veterans of the Solon army were right.

In particular, the six hundred cavalrymen he brought out on patrol were quite elite.

The scattered forces of the Kokand army were now poised for an attack, cutting them in half.

There were no patrols on either side of the Kokand army.

Changling then decided to launch an attack. Many of the Manchu officials on his side were actually quite old, serving as ministers while acting as bodyguards.

However, they are quite brave when it comes to fighting.

The Kokand army watched as the Solon soldiers came down the hillside, unleashed a volley of arrows, and then charged into their ranks, brandishing their sabers.

The place was full of livestock and carts, and even people from Andijan and Namghan who had been brought here, causing great chaos. Cries and screams filled the air.

The Kokand army's own firearms, which they were good at, were rendered ineffective by the Solon soldiers' charge, and many of them were cut down by the Solon soldiers as they got closer.

Thus, a gap was breached in the Kokand army, and Changling dared not linger in battle. After charging once, he ran away, which was quite exciting.

If the Kokand army were led by an experienced veteran, that would be fine, but the problem is that Muhammad Ali Khan himself is here.

He was used to writing poetry, but he was still quite ignorant about warfare. Changling led his Solon and Sibe soldiers away without losing a single man or horse.

Seeing this, he naturally ordered his men to pursue. Even the Kokand officers around him suggested that since the enemy was few in number, it would be better to set up camp southwest of the Talas River and then send the main force there to use their superior numbers to defeat the Qing army that they had previously scouted.

The Kokand army then launched a pursuit. The cavalry in front attempted to catch up with the Qing army, but were driven back twice by Solon soldiers who turned back and used arrows.

Thus, they reached the banks of the Taras River. While crossing the river, Changling also instructed Qingxiang to send troops to meet them and to hold the camp.

However, keep quiet and do not make any noise in the camp.

This tactic was known to the Manchu and Mongol officials, whose knowledge of Romance of the Three Kingdoms was nearly 100% widespread. They knew it was Zhao Yun's empty camp ruse on the banks of the Han River, so they naturally cooperated very well, preparing bows and arrows and muskets.

Even the troops that arrived last in Urumqi brought two hundred Russian-made flintlock muskets. Although they were all muzzle-loading, with two hundred men in front and four hundred men behind to help load the ammunition, they could also provide archery support to the front, so their firepower was quite strong.

After the vanguard of the Kokand army crossed the Talas River, they were outpaced by Changling.

But they did not stop. Having crossed the river, they naturally wanted to see the Qing army's deployment clearly.

However, the difference in military strategy between the two sides was too great. Timur the Lame was quite adept at using tactics in battle, but the Khanate of Kokand had not learned any of them. Instead, they had adopted all of the rubbish tactics of Busein in the later period of Timur's Empire.

Even if they just learned from their ancestor Babur, that would be fine!
Thus, the Kokand army crossed the river and arrived in front of the camp, only to find it completely still. So they mustered their courage and charged into the camp.

The result was that the Qing army fired a barrage of crossbow bolts, along with musket fire, and quickly defeated the more than one hundred Kokand cavalrymen.

The remaining troops of the Kokand army were thrown into chaos, and a Qing army unit that had been lying in ambush behind the hill attacked and drove them north.

Under the combined attack, the Kokand army suffered heavy casualties, almost all of them were wiped out by the Qing army, and only a hundred or so men ran to the banks of the Talas River.

Muhammad Ali Khan was unaware of the situation ahead. The place where he was attacked was not far from the Talas River, and now, as he crossed the river, the news of the defeat had not yet arrived.

When he crossed the river, the first wave of scouts only reported that they had pursued the Qing army to the Qing camp on the other side of the Talas River, but there was no movement there.

As for the fact that the Qing army had created a large number of hedgehogs in less than an hour, they have not yet updated the information.

As more and more of Muhammad Ali Khan's army crossed the Talas River, the Qing army, apart from a few troops left to guard the main camp, had already mobilized all its infantry and cavalry to the banks of the Talas River.

Anyone who has read more books should know that this is a classic situation where the enemy is halfway across the river and can be attacked.

The Kokand army barely formed ranks. Compared to when they were bombarded by Russian artillery and began to collapse, losing many men, the attack by the Qing army here turned into a one-sided massacre.

After the Qing army's great victory, the Kokand troops were in a state of disarray, which gave the nearby Kyrgyz tribes something to do.

With Muhammad Ali Khan and the royal family of the Khanate of Kokand on either side of the river, the caravan became the perfect target for the Kyrgyz tribes to plunder.

When the Qing army defeated the Kokand army and came to pick up the scraps, the number of heads taken by the Kokand beggars and officers who went to Changling and Qingxiang to ask for rewards was already outrageously high.

As for Muhammad Ali Khan's head, since he was still a young boy, it was relatively easy to identify, and it was directly presented to the elder.

In other words, Emperor Daoguang did not use skulls as bowls like his grandfather did. These skulls were preserved in salt and then sent to the capital to report the victory.

When it came to open field battles, the Kokand army was surprisingly incompetent. Although the Qing army that made it this far was considered elite, their numbers were not large.

However, they were far too easily defeated in the battle on the Talas River side.

At this time, Namgan and Andijan were both empty cities, and there were no decent armies from the Talas River all the way to the core area of ​​Fergana.

The Khanate of Kokand was suddenly left in a vacuum.

Seeing this situation, Qingxiang only wanted to take the heads sent by the Kyrgyz tribes in the past few days, as well as the wives and children of the Kokand "Ming" family he had captured, including Muhammad Ali Khan's stepmother who had only recently entered the family, and send them to the capital to report the victory.

But Changling came with Emperor Daoguang's orders, and Zhang Ge'er has run away, so it's hard to guarantee they won't come back.

After resting for a few days, Changling ordered Bahabu to lead the Khoshut Mongol and Solon troops who had come to reinforce them to Andijan.

Along the way, they saw Kokand people fleeing everywhere, which told them that the Russian army had already reached Kokand.

For both the Qing and Russian armies, there was a troublesome issue: the Kyrgyz were too swift in their actions, wiping out almost the entire ruling class of Kokand, leaving no major officials among the remaining ones—a case of exhausting resources to catch all the fish.

However, it seems that this is the only chance for the Kyrgyz tribes to fleece the emperor, so of course they will take full advantage of it.

Kokand suddenly disappeared, and even the idea of ​​Russia and the Qing Dynasty sitting down to demarcate the border and discuss how to deal with such a large territory as Kokand is now a problem. (End of Chapter)