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Chapter 915: Great Victory in the Western Region
"Your Majesty, I am late and I deserve death!"

But this glorious victory could not let Sun Chengzong feel relieved. It was not until he saw Emperor Jingyang's carriage that he breathed a sigh of relief, ran over, and slid to his knees from a distance.

"Put a note on him. He is a deputy governor who broke the law knowingly. Go back and hand him over to the General Staff Headquarters for punishment according to the law!"

After Hong Tao got off the car, he didn't pretend to help, nor did he say polite words like "I miss you so much", and he didn't shed crocodile tears. All the steps were implemented according to the plan, and it was not too early or too late, it was just right, and there was no need to reward or punish him.

But kneeling in front of officers and soldiers was a clear violation, and a clear attitude was required. Then it had an immediate effect, and the Northern Army generals who came over quickly stopped their kneeling preparations and saluted obediently.

"Everyone is here, let's hold a meeting. Sun Chengzong, please explain the situation."

Hong Tao waved his hand, signaling the officers to come closer, and took the lead to sit down, ready to listen to the gains and losses. At this time, Wang Chengen took action. As soon as the emperor bent his legs, a folding stool was delivered, which matched the dragon's buttocks perfectly.

"It's better to let them die. Keeping them alive will only cause trouble. Don't worry about the defeated soldiers who fled into the mountains. Leave them to Aduchain. He got the title of Khan for nothing. He can't just do nothing. Release all the captured Bukhara officers, give them horses and food, and let them go home on their own.

Send someone to inform Adu Ciyin that the Kazakh cavalry should not kill them all, but leave some to go back. These defeated soldiers are very good lobbyists, and they will exaggerate the strength of the Ming army to their Khan, which will promote future negotiations.

Ombu, are there many Mongolians here? Regardless of whether they are Tumed or not, you should communicate with them, tell them the benefits of Ming Dynasty, and tell them how much benefit they will gain by ensuring smooth trade routes.

Another thing is to restrain your subordinates. It is best to organize them to learn about local customs and taboos, summarize which ones are irrelevant and which ones must be followed, and then unify the caliber to formulate temporary military laws. Whoever violates it will be punished, and no one will be forgiven lightly.

We have won, but we are still far from success. As you can see, the topography here is very special. The cities and oases are hundreds of miles apart, and the population is relatively scattered. It is impossible to effectively manage them with limited garrisons. So we cannot relax our vigilance and must strictly prevent night raids, harassment, and sneak attacks.

Jiang Bi and Huang Taiji, the two of you should lead the 21st Guard and the Inner Mongolia Guard to garrison Kashgar and Yarkand City. You should interfere less in local civil affairs, and certainly not get involved in disputes between tribes.

Du Wenhuan is in Yutian at this time. I will let him lead 34 guards and the Inner Mongolian guards to guard Yutian, Qiemo, and Ruoqiang. You should keep in touch with each other regularly. If you have to abandon a place due to an accident, Huang Taiji, you will answer me, which one should be abandoned and why? "

Due to the good preparation and the availability of pre-built fortifications, the army suffered few casualties in this battle. Although the Inner Mongolian Guards suffered more casualties, it was within expectations. Ammunition was a little tight, mainly due to the lack of artillery shells. In order to march quickly, the Northern Army left most of its heavy weapons in Hami.

This is not a big problem. With the death of Yarkand Khan, there is basically nothing left of the Khanate's army. Aduqiyin only has more than 2 troops, and he cannot bring all of them to southern Xinjiang. At least half of them must be left in Turpan to prevent others from occupying the land and claiming to be king. There should not be too fierce fighting in the short term.

Now it was time to prepare for the return trip. Hong Tao did not plan to stay here for too long, nor did he plan to meet with Abdulchayin, Yusup, Abash, Bakhti and others to discuss future arrangements. This job would be fully delegated to Ding Shun. The emperor had to have the status of an emperor, and not everyone could meet and chat with him. But before leaving southern Xinjiang, there was one thing that he had to remind him of, so as to avoid disagreements among the generals and cause fearless losses.

"... Khotan, we should protect Khotan! With Khotan, we can contact Guazhou to the east and Aksu to the north. If the enemy occupies Khotan and Aksu, Kashgar and Yarkand will be doomed and will not receive any supplies."

Huang Taiji did not speak immediately. Before answering, he drew a rough map on the ground and measured the distances between several strategic locations with his fingers before giving the answer.

"Very good, you are right. Khotan is not only a strategic point between the east and the west, but also a hub between the north and the south. If we defend it and Aksu, most of the Western Regions will be safe. I will order Lei Laohu to lead his troops to Hami and keep a close eye on the various Wala tribes in the north.

Next spring, the Ministry of Construction will come to the Western Regions to build cities and roads. Once the tracks from Guazhou to Hami and Ruoqiang are completed, supply will become much easier.

You should also not sit idle. You can select some soldiers who know farming and let them take a look at the local agricultural conditions. Summarize the advantages that can be learned and the weaknesses that can be improved. Solve what can be solved and report what cannot be solved to the General Staff.

It would be best to support several large workshops or factories engaged in food processing in the local area, so as to solve part of the military rations on the spot and reduce the logistical pressure. By the way, we can also have more contact with the local people. With common interests, the relationship will naturally become closer. "

Huang Taiji's answer was very correct, and Hong Tao had nothing to add. The biggest problem at present was logistics. It was not easy to transport goods by any route, so local food supply became the best choice.

But Hong Tao was not satisfied with just using silver to purchase it. He hoped that the garrison here would not only play a role in military deterrence, but also encourage those who are capable to work harder to develop logistical production.

There is no need to set up military settlements like the Ming Dynasty's garrisons, but to target the local people. The Han people are best at farming, and this advantage must be brought into play. At the same time, some joint ventures can be established. In the face of interests, all beliefs, habits, and emotions will be easily resolved.

"Your Majesty, I have an idea. Can we open a branch of Sun Moon Bank here? We don't have to build a farm yet, but small agricultural loans should be of some use. We can also issue some silver coins. The silver coins here are of poor quality. Some of them can break into two pieces if thrown on a rock."

As the highest authority representative of the Ming Dynasty court in the Western Regions for a period of time to come, Ding Shun has begun to get into the role, shifting from military thinking to government affairs, and has given specific measures.

"This is a good suggestion. I will discuss this with Prime Minister Oyani as soon as I return. We still have one day. Everyone should think carefully about what else they want to ask. If you miss this opportunity, you will have to wait at least four or five months to get a reply."

Ding Shun's performance was indeed worthy of recognition, and it also surprised Hong Tao a little. Opening the Sun and Moon Bank in the Western Regions could not only issue silver coins, gradually gaining the initiative in the economy, but also in turn influence the currency reform process of the Ming Dynasty.

From now on, all merchants who want to do business in the Western Regions, no matter where they come from, must first exchange for new silver coins. These merchants are not individuals, but an important link in the industrial chain. Through them, the entire industrial chain can be driven to get used to using new silver coins, which can be said to be a great way to achieve twice the result with half the effort!
(End of this chapter)