Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The people of Kokand only learned of the demise of the Khanate of Kokand when the Russian and Qing armies marched into their cities.

It died, and it died at just the right time.

The taxes they had previously levied had already been collected for five years, regardless of whether the poor paid poll taxes or the rich were taxed.

Given the way Kokand officials behave, they wouldn't be surprised if some places had been collecting taxes for ten years.

Changling and Qingxiang followed the Solon soldiers into Andijan. When they saw the situation there, they couldn't hold back any longer.

Because we didn't know what kind of trouble Kokand might cause, and based on the principle that if they attacked, we had to go there, we found that the local religious leaders and scholars were waiting there after we entered the city.

Kokand is closer to Kashgar, and they all know the rules of the Great Emperor's court, which require kneeling before officials. So they all knelt there in unison.

The two ministers were momentarily at a loss, wondering what was going on.

"You two go and investigate."

"Whoo."

The two Ghoshhars, accompanied by a guide, went forward and saw a group of bearded men leading their Taliban, followed by a large group of men, women, and children, all kneeling there.

They learned that since the Great Emperor's heavenly army had arrived, they were all here to surrender, and should not be treated like the Dzungars or the Khoja brothers who were being hunted down.

From this perspective, Emperor Qianlong's cruel and tyrannical choices cast a psychological shadow over the surrounding countries and tribes.

After hearing this, Changling was both amused and exasperated.

These people also said that the land had been almost completely exploited by the Kokand army, and there was simply no way to supply the emperor's army. They only had some rations, enough to last until the autumn harvest.

“Tell them that the army of the Celestial Empire will not collect taxes for five years. If they really have to pay taxes, each family should just give a bolt of white cloth. If wealthy families contribute, they will only need to provide food and wine.”

After these words were spoken, the people of Andijan could hardly believe their ears.

What have they been trying to gain by paying taxes to the Khan and Burke of Kokand for so many years?
Ask the Kokand merchants who had previously done business in Kashgar, and they also revealed their secrets.

That was the one who bullied men and women, the worst official under the Great Emperor. He kidnapped the daughters and wives of Burke and officials of all ranks to commit crimes. Later, he was discovered by the Great Emperor's imperial envoy, and all of them were beheaded, so their tools of crime were no longer effective.

All those years of taxes have been paid in vain.

The Khanate of Kokand has collapsed. That bastard Khan (the lackey Beg) absconded with the tax money and his entire family. Muhammad Ali Khan, you are not human.
That's roughly the feeling. As for the arrival of the emperor's army, it's simply a joyous welcome to the royal army.

Some of the Kokand elders simply declared that once the Great Emperor's army arrived, it should not leave.

Although the Great Emperor is a heretic, the previous Great Emperor did not lack orthodox concubines, and he always protected orthodox people. Moreover, the tax rate was so low. The Great Emperor's kindness can never be repaid.

Emperor Daoguang was unaware of what was happening at the front. He was sitting in the Forbidden City when the news of the great victory came from the most remote area under the jurisdiction of the General of Yili. It would take a long time to travel there, not to mention that there were no post stations there, and it was a place with very few patrols on the Qing Dynasty's border.

In places like Andijan, Namgan, and Kokand, after negotiations with the Russian side, the final determination of the territorial ownership of Kokand was also a key issue that both sides wanted to discuss.

Changling also discovered that the common people of the Khanate of Kokand seemed to be particularly afraid of Russia because of past rumors.

It's important to know that all the branches of the Golden Horde were eventually destroyed by Russia.

Those that are not being eliminated now will eventually be eliminated by the Red Army.

If they were to come, it would be a huge disaster for Orthodox Christians.

So after Andijan hosted the Qing army, they heard about the Emperor's ridiculously low tax rates and sent envoys from Kokand to surrender to the Qing army's vanguard.

In this day and age, it's quite surprising to see people so eager to surrender.

Meanwhile, Baron Essen's Cossack scouts had just arrived in Kokand, picked a bunch of grapes from a vineyard there, and returned to report to Essen.

The capital of Kokand was an undefended city, and it seemed that a battle had taken place on the Qing side, with the routed soldiers of the Kokand army scattered all around Namghan and Andijan.

Essen sent men to Andijan to scout ahead. On the way, they clashed with the fleeing soldiers of the Kokand army. However, the Kokand soldiers were mostly desperate and, after being defeated by the Qing army and pursued by Kyrgyz herders, they surrendered to the Russian army in fear and panic.

They were also afraid of losing their heads. Although the Qing army did not harm the people in the slightest compared to the Central Asian warlords, the heads of the Kokand soldiers that were cut off were indeed piled up by the roadside.

In order to save their lives, these people surrendered to the Russians.

This left Baron Essen completely bewildered, wondering what was going on.

As a result, the soldiers of Kokand surrendered to the Russian army, and the mullahs and civilians opened their doors to welcome the Great Emperor's army.

Baron Essen's messenger soon arrived in Changling and discovered that the Qing army had already entered Andijan.

In this way, both sides would have to sit down, station themselves on the territory of the Khanate of Kokand, and discuss how to deal with this land.

It would be difficult to establish a Beg of Kokand, since the Kyrgyz tribes have already been Penta Killed, a legend.

But we can't just abandon this land like that.

Although Baron Essen had the authority to make decisions, it was limited to mobilizing troops and defeating the Kokand people. As for annexing territory, a diplomat would still be needed to come to Kokand.

As for Changling, the Qing Dynasty did not want to cause trouble in this area. Although it was a good thing that the territory had increased, Andijan was too far away, and compared to the Hui people in southern Xinjiang, it would probably be more difficult to govern in the long run.

But the matter wasn't over yet. When the elders of Kokand heard that the Great Emperor's army didn't intend to stay permanently and was going to return to Ili, they simply offered to pay the taxes that the Great Emperor had originally paid to Kokand Khan, rather than have such a ruler again.

Moreover, they did not want to be ruled by Russia. These Kokand people requested to cede territory and accept the protection of the Great Emperor. They suggested that a Darughachi be sent instead.

The Darughachi was an official position established by Genghis Khan. Compared to the Minister of State Affairs, they were probably more directly responsible for managing the local area.

The word popped out of the mouth of a Kokand person, and it took Changling a while to realize what it meant, even though he was from the Plain White Banner of Mongolia.

At this point, he remembered that when he entered the city, he had indeed mentioned to a highly respected mullah that he was from the Plain White Banner of Mongolia.

Of course, they had to cite classical texts and bring up the official title of Darughachi. This white-bearded old man was very knowledgeable and skilled in teaching, and he only made this suggestion because Changling and Qingxiang were both from the Mongol Eight Banners. "Since a Darughachi is to be appointed, we must also submit a memorial to the Emperor. We are already aware of their intention to submit to the Celestial Empire, and now we await the Emperor's decision. As for the Russian army approaching Kokand, the Emperor has a prior agreement with the Russian ruler and will naturally do his best to protect their families."

After that, the locals felt relieved and went home.

Then came the Qing army's follow-up troops. Yang Fang led the Shaanxi-Gansu elite to the northern frontier. He only arrived in Yili after the battle was over. Now he led the Green Standard Army's elite to Kokand to do what the Green Standard Army usually does.

Unfortunately, they didn't get any credit for the battle, but their food and pay were still provided.

Moreover, Yang Fang was quite straightforward. He knew that if an official were appointed here, it would probably be a minister or something similar, and the officials sent would all be Manchu. The regional commanders would also be Manchu and Mongol military generals.

Only when a province is established, or when a governor or general is appointed, are there matters concerning Han officials.

However, Changling and Qingxiang were also good at dealing with people. They tried to persuade him with kind words, but they did not cut back on the Green Standard Army's food and pay. They also submitted a memorial explaining the situation.

Fortunately, Yang Fang had abandoned his pen for the sword. Although he was an admiral, he was still willing to sit at the table with scholars. He naturally appreciated the kindness of these two officials.

Thus, a delicate situation arose in the territory of Kokand.

The vanguard of the Russian army also entered Kokand. Subsequently, the commanders of the Qing Dynasty and the Russian army set up a negotiating table in the palace of the Khanate of Kokand and began bilateral talks on how to deal with the territory of Kokand.

From the perspective of the Kokand people, it seemed that submitting to the Qing Dynasty would be more promising. The Qing emperor was far away, but their army was in Ili, and the army from Kashgar had not even crossed the border yet. The Kyrgyz tribes to the south had also submitted to the Qing Dynasty.

Russia, on the other hand, converted the descendants of the Golden Horde to Christianity, but adopted a policy of appeasement towards the present-day Kazakh Khanate. The Kazakh Khan of the Little Horde even lives in Moscow, and the local tribal administration is relatively lenient.

But these heretics might change their beliefs at any time.

Although Russia adheres to the Orthodox Church and is considered "the scripture-holder" by Muslims, they have witnessed plenty of the drama of various Christian denouncing each other as heretics.

Therefore, they were still willing to submit to the Qing Dynasty.

When Emperor Daoguang saw the memorials submitted by Changling and Qingxiang, he was completely stunned.

Looking at these things now, they all seem very troublesome.

It's a pity that the Russian army wasn't commanded by Solovyov; if it had been him, they probably could have resolved the situation much faster.

Of course, Russia has also sent a special team of diplomats who will travel for several months from St. Petersburg to Moscow, then to Orenburg, and finally across the Kazakh steppe to reach Kokand.

Although the Qing army's fighting strength had begun to decline, it was still much stronger than the Kokand Khanate. This war gave the Russians the illusion that the Qing army was very powerful.

The Kokand army that Muhammad Ali Khan led away numbered at least 20,000, but they all collapsed and scattered along the Talas River.

In that case, the Qing army still had a strong fighting capacity, which was the Russian assessment.

The two sides are now continuing negotiations in the palace in Kokand, and how much benefit each side will gain is another matter.

However, the Russian side stated that they did not enter Andijan and Namgan, and that these two cities and the surrounding areas were at the mercy of the Qing emperor.

Tashkent and some towns along the way were all captured by the Russians themselves, and most of the pastures could also be owned by the Kazakhs. The ownership of Kokand, however, would have to be negotiated.

Because of this, Song Jun, who had negotiated with Russia in Kyakhta thirty years ago and was almost seventy years old, had to travel from Beijing to Yili.

After all, he had previously served as the General of Ili and the Minister in Charge of Affairs in Kulun, and was very experienced in "pacifying Russia." He had dealt with the Russians for a long time and was also quite familiar with the British.

By setting off in this way, he managed to avoid the calamities of the coming year and was put in charge of negotiating the ownership of the Kokand territory.

The Russians, on the other hand, didn't really want Kokand, as it was quite troublesome to govern.

Moreover, although Fergana is fertile and suitable for cultivation, the Kokand region is extremely difficult for Russia to govern.

Unless the Kazakhs completely submit and Bukhara and Khiva also completely surrender, occupying Kokand is meaningless.

Going with the flow and doing someone a favor is actually quite appropriate.

Neserrodie advocated for friendship with the Qing Dynasty without even needing Solovyov to come back and explain the situation.

Thus, the ultimate fate of Kokand was that their territory, shaped like Tongliao, along with its pastures and Tashkent, would fall to Russia. The pastures would be used by Kazakh herders for grazing, while Tashkent would become an important trading hub and a rear base for future military campaigns against Bukhara and Persia.

The Qing Dynasty gained control of the core region of Kokand, and the entire Fergana Basin became Qing territory.

Emperor Daoguang was sitting at home when the land was suddenly handed to him. He even had to hold a ceremony to present the captured prisoners to Changling, which cost money.

However, considering that the treasures of the Kokand Kingdom registered by Changling and Qingxiang were still quite substantial, and that filling the treasury under the jurisdiction of the Ili General would save some money, Emperor Daoguang was still very pleased.

He was willing to do anything that could make him a fortune. He had originally planned a long war that would cost him several million taels of silver, but this trip had recouped a lot of his losses.

But the negotiations with Russia were not yet over, and Daoguang was now facing another headache.

That is, it originally did not border Bukhara, but now that Kokand has been destroyed, the Emirates of Bukhara and the Qing Dynasty have become neighbors.

Bukhara immediately sent people to Kokand to meet with Songjun and request trade with the Qing Dynasty.

Since Bukhara still had some sense, Songjun proposed during the negotiations that Zhang Ge'er, who had previously fled to Bukhara, be handed over.

The Emir of Bukhara, Haidar, was also quite sensible; he handed over the entire Zhangger to the Qing Dynasty without making excuses like Kokand did.

After all, the Emir of Bukhara was well-informed and knew that the Khoja family's claim of being "sacred descendants" was a lie.

Even on the Qing Dynasty side, thanks to Solovyov's popular science and the testimony of the Omani Sultanate's envoys, it was known that the White Mountain faction's identity was completely fake.

Therefore, Zhang Ge'er was not only arrested in advance, but he was also likely to be taken to Caishikou to be seen by the people of Beijing.

In addition, Daoguang also sent the Minister in charge of the Kokand Khanate, as well as the Ministers in charge of the affairs of Andijan and Namgan, to establish Beg officials in the local areas, just like the Hui people in southern Xinjiang, thus forming direct rule.

The situation in Central Asia remained unresolved for the time being, and 1821 appeared to be a very peaceful year. (End of Chapter)