On April 5, the Soviet army entered southern Xinjiang. On the second day, it occupied the entire Kashgar area. On the third day, it occupied the western part of the Aksu area. It is still advancing rapidly eastward along the oasis corridor on the south side of the Tianshan Mountains.
The Soviet Union's actions shocked the whole world. In Geneva, the Soviet Union and the Ming Dynasty's ambassador to the League of Nations were surrounded by reporters from various countries. In the Ming Dynasty, the media was overwhelming, and reporters gathered in front of various military and political institutions again.
In a society like the Ming Dynasty, folk political life is very rich. In Xinjiekou Square and in front of the official residence of the Chief Minister, there are various folk gatherings: labor organizations, women's organizations, political organizations, non-political organizations, and individual street speakers.
...The content is also diverse, either advocating for rights and interests, promoting opinions, criticizing the authorities, or soliciting donations.
Fei... It's just that there are fewer people on weekdays and more people on weekends. There are fewer people when there is no big event, and there are more people when there is big event. When Xiang Xiaoqiang first came, he seemed completely stunned, just like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
...No, it’s like Grandma Liu entered the Super Girl talent show. I didn’t expect that there is such a society and such a group of “fed” people.
Xiang Xiaoqiang couldn't figure it out at first: The Ming government can only be so good, why are these people so picky and dissatisfied? Are there really such creatures as "tricksters" in the world? At first, he couldn't adapt to it.
It took him more than half a year to get used to it. Now, although he is suffering as a member of the "authority", he also takes it as a matter of course.
In fact, if you think about it, it is like a person suddenly traveling from the era of planned economy to the era of market economy. He suddenly faces the colorful world from extreme scarcity. He will also be confused: there are only so many things in the mall, and the attitude of the salesperson is only
It can be so good, why are these people still picky and unsatisfied with one thing and another? At that time, let alone pickyness, we had to ask the salesperson to bring something to look at, and it still depended on the person's face!
Now that I belong to the powerful class, I will naturally be very unhappy with all this. Sometimes I really want to have a mutiny and put the cabinet, courts, Metropolitan Procuratorate, Parliament, newspapers, radio, etc. under my control, and then
Do whatever you want to do happily, and cross over whoever is unhappy. Just like if you want to open a shopping mall, you only want one mall in the city, and if you want to open an oil company, you want only one oil company in the country. Monopoly is always very satisfying, no matter it is power.
Or the market.
However... if I had traveled back in time and not taken the path of power, but had taken the path of the people, such as making money directly, and then returning to the Ming Dynasty, I would definitely be glad that the Ming Dynasty is like this, and that this society can allow
Being a common citizen is also very happy and safe.
…
Now, as a member of the "authority", Xiang Xiaoqiang, together with Shen Rongxuan and others, are ready to be tortured by the people. In fact, when they signed the secret agreement with the Soviet Union, they were already mentally prepared. Xiang Xiaoqiang
The side is better. After all, he is in the military and has very little responsibility, and he was opposed to doing this at the beginning. Shen Rongxuan's side is now in dire straits.
Neither the Soviet Union nor the Ming Dynasty showed any hesitation when faced with external questioning, and readily gave their prepared explanations.
The Soviet Union's statement is that the two areas of northern and southern Xinjiang have been the homelands of all ethnic groups in Central Asia since ancient times. They were occupied by force until the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. Now that the Manchu Qing Dynasty has been destroyed, the oppressed people of all ethnic groups there have stood up for liberation.
With a strong desire to join the family of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Soviet Union was just complying with the wishes of the people of all ethnic groups in Central Asia. It had nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty from the beginning to the end.
The Ming Dynasty's statement is that the northern and southern frontiers have been an integral part of the Chinese Empire since the Han Empire. As the Chinese orthodoxy, the Ming Empire naturally and legally inherited the territories of previous dynasties, and the northern and southern frontiers are no exception. How can it be said that it has nothing to do with the Ming Dynasty?
The reason why the Ming Dynasty tolerated the Soviet Union's occupation of southern Xinjiang without declaring war on it was simply because the Ming Dynasty had just unified, the war was over, its military and financial resources were quite poor, and there was a large area of northern land and people in need of construction, so it really had no time to look west.
Neither the Soviet Union nor the Ming Dynasty told the truth. This kind of secret agreement is really not on the table. The Ming Dynasty would certainly be reviled by the people if it ceded the land (even though it was only a virtual land in name), but the Soviet Union clearly took advantage of people's crisis to extort land.
It is not glorious, at least it is too inconsistent with the glorious image that the Soviet Union strives to project to the outside world. Therefore, the two sides have long discussed a higher level.
Sure enough, a reporter in Geneva asked the Soviet ambassador: Now Southern Xinjiang is obviously a disputed land. So according to convention, the most reasonable way to belong to the disputed land is national self-determination. The Soviet Union will allow the people of Southern Xinjiang to vote to decide their own.
Belong?
The Soviet ambassador agreed: Of course, we are here to liberate them, not to invade them. Since we are here to liberate them, how can we not respect the wishes of the local people? If after voting, the local people really choose to join
Ming Dynasty, the Red Army will withdraw immediately.
Almost at the same time, other reporters asked Ambassador Ming: If the Soviet Union incorporated southern Xinjiang into the Soviet Union as a union republic, would Ming Dynasty recognize it?
Ambassador Ming refused flatly: Of course he doesn’t admit it.
The reporter asked again: What if the Soviet Union held a local self-determination vote and the result was that the local people were willing to join the Soviet Union?
Ambassador Daming was silent for a long time and replied: If the national self-determination vote is truly open and fair and truly reflects the true wishes of the local people, then Daming will respect their wishes.
In this way, both sides are tantamount to announcing to the world at the same time that their countries recognize the method of "self-determination of nationalities in the disputed areas."
This declaration of "recognition of self-determination by vote" later laid sad foreshadowing for the Soviet Union. But at this time, neither the Soviet Union nor the Ming Dynasty realized it.
…
However, this is only in Geneva, internationally. In both countries, large-scale mass rallies occurred. In Moscow, factories, party and government agencies, and schools were organized to hold mass celebration parades. Parades
The team formed a neat square array according to different units, carrying huge portraits of Lenin and Stalin, carrying giant banners with unified slogans, and shouting neat slogans of "Support the liberation of the people of Uyghur-Stanistan".
"Spontaneous" march in front of foreign envoys and journalists.
In Nanjing, the rallies were much more "chaotic" and almost reached the level of public outrage. Donglin University once again took the lead. Students from all universities in Nanjing staged rallies outside the official residence of the Chief Minister, outside the office buildings of the cabinet ministries, and in Xinjiekou Square.
The crowd was packed with people. Donglin University’s huge “wind, rain, reading, and family affairs reached my ears.
The banners saying "The state is a matter of national concern and everyone is concerned about everything" were also put up again. The banners of the surrounding universities were like stars. The students' banners were like spiritual banners in the intellectual community, guiding citizens from other walks of life to join together.
Throw yourself into this... In Xiang Xiaoqiang's words: Throw yourself into this vigorous anti-imperialist and patriotic movement.
It seems that the response from the public is much greater than what the senior officials expected. In Xiang Xiaoqiang's view, if nothing else happens to divert public attention, it will now turn into a "May Fourth Movement."
In fact, it’s no wonder that the people were so angry. What the Ming Dynasty’s senior officials originally envisioned was that the Ming Dynasty had never actually controlled that area anyway, and there weren’t many people of its own ethnic group in that area. With the Ming generation, the people had a sense of identity with that area.
It's not very strong either. Besides, the joys, sorrows, and joys of the people are now all occupied by the liberation of Jiangbei. Who is so full that he will live and die for that place?
But what they didn't expect was that if the Soviet army occupied southern Xinjiang before the Northern Expedition, or occupied southern Xinjiang during the war, then few people in the Ming Dynasty would really care. Because at that time, everyone subconsciously thought that
The place still belongs to the Qing Dynasty. Even if the Soviet Union takes it away, it still belongs to the Qing Dynasty. It has little to do with itself.
But now, the Northern Expedition has ended, the Manchu Qing Dynasty has been wiped out, and the entire territory of the Manchu Qing Empire, regardless of whether the Ming army actually occupied it, has now declared its submission to the Ming Dynasty. In other words, as long as it belonged to the Manchu Qing Dynasty before, it is now
Everything belongs to the Ming Dynasty. So now that the Soviet Union is occupying southern Xinjiang, it is openly robbing the Ming Dynasty. It is no different from occupying Shandong and Henan.
No one thought of this level in advance. Now it turns out that everyone has miscalculated.
…
Now both the royal family and the cabinet are thinking about whether it is appropriate to hold the wedding of Princess Liaoyang now. Some people support it: they think this may divert public attention. Even if this marriage is scolded, at least it can make it clear
The Soviet Union issue was transferred to the Manchu-Han issue.
Opponents say that this will only add fuel to the fire. Now the people are angry about the loss of territory by the authorities. If you, the "authorities" continue to boast about organizing happy events, wouldn't it be...
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Shi Shigege are also hesitant. No one can judge what will happen if they hold a wedding now. From their own perspective, of course they want to get married immediately... It takes too long. Not only Xiang Xiaoqiang,
Even Fourteen Gege can’t wait.
…
On the morning of April 10, a shocking news suddenly came from the west:
——Erdunmutu, the former commander of the 51st Army of the Northwestern Army of the Qing Dynasty, suddenly announced the establishment of Beijing and named the country the Ili Empire. Not only that, he also proclaimed himself emperor. Now, the enthronement ceremony is being held.
Finally, the news that Ming Dynasty’s senior officials had long awaited to “shift the public’s attention” came.
...However, this news is too serious. The Ming government would rather not divert this attention.
There is no doubt that the Ming Empire can no longer remain silent this time. The Ming Dynasty cannot bear to lose the northern and southern frontiers in succession. Besides, the southern frontier has been mentally prepared for it, but for the northern frontier, this is simply a blow to the head.
At this time, both the authorities and the public in Ming Dynasty unanimously spoke out, and there was a lot of shouting and beating.
Shen Rongxuan made a public speech, stating that the Ming Empire could not tolerate this blatant rebellion and would soon rectify the army and go to quell the rebellion.
From the perspective of the outside world, it is understandable that the Ming government's attitudes towards the northern and southern Xinjiang are so diametrically opposed. Behind the southern Xinjiang stands the Soviet Union, which is a behemoth that everyone would be surprised by. But in the northern Xinjiang, it is just a Qing army.
Commander, with only tens of thousands of people under his command, he is simply a clown. If we don't fight in Northern Xinjiang, then the entire north that Ming Dynasty just conquered will be unstoppable.
Erdenmutu also miscalculated this time. He was terribly afraid of the Ming Dynasty in advance, and planned to call himself Khan, or at most king, even if he became independent. In his opinion, the Ming Dynasty was very powerful. But now he saw it with his own eyes
Seeing that the Ming Dynasty's blatant invasion of the Soviet Union was so cowardly. An empire is so afraid of war, no matter how powerful it is, what's so scary? - But he doesn't know at all that this is the country.
It's been discussed.
Erdenmutu was temporarily carried away and declared independence and proclaimed himself emperor.
…
April 18th is the eighth day of the third month of the lunar calendar.
In Beijing, Zhu Yourong hosted a simple wedding for Shi Shigege and Xiang Xiaoqiang, and it was a military wedding. Both of them were wearing military uniforms, and the wedding was held in the barracks of the armored army that was ready to go. This move once again shocked the Ming Dynasty.
The cohesion of people has reached a new high. Holding such a wedding at this time has been interpreted by many people as "uniting all ethnic groups in the country and uniting with the outside world."
In this expeditionary force, only the First Armored Division of the People's Guard was dispatched as a ground combat force. This force is currently the most mobile, most powerful and most ferocious force in the entire Ming army. However, on the way to northern Xinjiang,
It is far away. After getting off the train in Xining, there are still about 2,000 kilometers of roads. Therefore, although the ground combat force is only one division, the logistics force is more than ten times larger.
Because the unification war had just been fought, the entire Ming army was still in an efficient state of war. Both the combat system and the logistics system responded very quickly. From the Erdunmutu rebellion on the 10th to the departure of the army, it only took
eight days.
Xiang Xiaoqiang was also named "Imperial Envoy" by Zhu Yourong, representing the Queen's "personal expedition". Xiang Xiaoqiang personally led the First Armored Division to northern Xinjiang and destroyed Erdenmutu.
In addition, because he married a princess, he was granted the title of Marquis as usual. Xiang Xiaoqiang was granted the title of "Marquis of Ili", and the nominal fiefdom was in Ili. - The name of Erdenmutu's country was "Ili Empire", and the general who went to fight him was
"Marquis of Yili", this is obviously a challenge, which means: there is you without me, there is me without you.
Shi Shi Ge Ge follows Xiang Xiaoqiang. On the one hand, as a newlywed, neither Shi Shi Ge Ge nor Xiang Xiaoqiang wants to separate. On the other hand, it is also useful to bring Shi Shi Ge Ge with him. Xiang Xiaoqiang is a Han nationality, and Shi Shi Ge Ge is a bannerman.
People are a "Manchu-Han couple". No matter who sees it, they will think that this is a symbol of national reconciliation in the Ming Dynasty. Such a Manchu-Han couple marching together can have a good hint to all the ethnic groups along the way:
——Don’t worry about ethnic groups! The hatred between the Han and the Manchus is great, right? How are people doing now? So follow the Ming Dynasty wholeheartedly, there will be bread, and everything will be there!