"These prisoners have already begun to be settled."

Zhao Chun picked up a telegram from the table and said, "I sent a telegram to Director Zhao a few days ago, and he replied that Han Dong's Western Regions Reclamation Army has set off and is expected to arrive in Yizhou soon. Once Han Dong's Western Regions Reclamation Army arrives here, all these prisoners will be handed over to them, and they will be responsible for the local reclamation and farming affairs. It's already early May, and I wonder if we can start farming in time! I hope we don't miss the farming season!"

"It must be a little late."

Li Maoxue frowned and said, "However, the climate in the Western Regions is different from that in the interior of the Great Gan. These matters will be taken care of by the Western Regions Reclamation Army."

As he spoke, Li Maoxue looked up at Zhao Chun and said with a smile, "Our mission is to continue expanding our gains and eliminate the Samanid Khanate's fighting force. During this period, our 11th Infantry Division has captured more than 20,000 prisoners. If we go out a few more times, I guarantee that the entire Yizhou Oasis will be the territory of our Great Gan Kingdom!"

"Go ahead, go ahead!"

Zhao Chun smiled and nodded, saying, "Rest for two days, then continue our journey! We should also try to expand our search area, perhaps moving towards places like Xizhou. Don't prioritize safety above all else!"

"Okay!"

Li Maoxue quickly agreed.

After resting for two days in Illinois, Li Maoxue once again led the 11th Infantry Division westward.

This time, Li Maoxue accepted Commander Zhao Chun's suggestion and headed directly towards Xizhou.

At the same time, several other units also began to advance westward.

As these troops embarked on their journey of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," the vanguard of Han Dong's Western Regions Reclamation Army had already crossed the vast desert and arrived outside Yizhou City.

"Old Zhao, long time no see!"

Upon seeing Zhao Chun, Han Dong immediately came to greet him.

Back in the Dongning Army, Han Dong and Zhao Chun were comrades-in-arms and fought side by side.

Although we later belonged to two different systems, that camaraderie from the battle still remains!

"Old Han, it's been a long time!"

Zhao Chun patted Han Dong on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You're quite the big shot now, old Han, with hundreds of thousands of troops under your command! You're incredibly strong!"

"Go away, get out of here!"

Han Dong spat and cursed, saying, "What are these hundreds of thousands of men under my command? They're all land reclamation troops, rarely seeing the battlefield. How can they compare to you? The Northwest Military Region now has over a hundred thousand troops, and you, Old Zhao, are leading troops on the front lines. It must feel great to kill enemies on the battlefield, right? I'd like to try it myself!"

"Hehe, that's it!"

Zhao Chun boasted, "But we all have our own expertise. The land around Yizhou City is fertile. I've seen it these past few days, and it's even comparable to Dongning. After your Western Regions Reclamation Army arrives, this place will be yours. And the nearly 200,000 prisoners will also be yours. How the area around Yizhou is developed depends on you, Old Han!"

"If you need more people or supplies, just come to me!"

Zhao Chun patted his chest and said confidently.

Immediately, Zhao Chun summoned the personnel from the Northwest Military Region's Logistics Department and handed over the troops to Han Dong's Western Regions Reclamation Army.

The vanguard of Han Dong's Western Regions Reclamation Army, numbering 30,000 to 40,000 men, received this great gift as soon as they arrived in Yizhou City.

Han Dong was still somewhat pleased.

Fortunately, Zhao Chun and his men had previously kept these prisoners in a very good position.

After Han Dong and his team took over, Han Dong began to categorize the prisoners according to their age.

Young and able-bodied men should be assigned to supervise the area alone!

Women of marriageable age are to be looked after separately.

The other elderly people were left aside.

Young children are cared for by designated personnel.

Han Dong even transferred a group of clerks from the Western Regions reclamation army to establish the Yizhou Reclamation School, specifically to send all these young Saman children to school.

Young and able-bodied laborers began digging brick and cement kilns in the northern foothills of Yizhou City to produce bricks, tiles, and cement.

Other women, along with the Western Regions Reclamation Army, reclaimed wasteland and began farming in the Illinois Oasis.

The elderly, on the other hand, continue to graze their livestock on the grasslands.

All the Saman prisoners were taken care of perfectly!

Han Dong even selected some of the Saman prisoners who performed well and were obedient to management, allowing them to live as families and giving them the right to manage the prisoners.

Use barbarians to control barbarians!

This was also a measure for managing the barbarians!

To be honest, Han Dong and his team are quite adept at these methods!

In a short period of time, the entire city of Illinois has undergone a dramatic transformation!

Han Dong even formed a survey team within the Western Regions reclamation army to explore for resources such as coal, iron ore, and copper ore in the surrounding area.

Everything is gradually getting back on track.

By mid-May, the 39th Infantry Division, the 40th Infantry Division, and the 12th Cavalry Division, as the third batch of the Western Expeditionary Army, entered Yizhou City.

Accompanying them were 30,000 members of the Longyou Militia Corps, as well as a large quantity of ammunition and supplies.

After these people arrived in Yizhou City, Zhao Chun also received news from Zhao Bingzhang, the director of the General Political Department.

In order to command from the front and nearby, Zhao Bingzhang led the Western Expedition Command to Guazhou and personally took command there.

Meanwhile, the Western Expedition Command also instructed Zhao Chun to hand over all affairs of Yizhou City to Han Dong's Western Region Reclamation Army and the Longyou Militia Corps.

Zhao Chun also led the 37th and 38th Infantry Divisions from Yizhou City toward Xizhou.

The third batch of the Western Expeditionary Army to enter Yizhou City, consisting of the 39th Infantry Division, the 40th Infantry Division, and the 12th Cavalry Division, turned southwest from Yizhou City and headed towards Yanqi, Quli, Kucha, Wensu and other places.

The army split into two routes and once again embarked on a grand westward expedition!

Meanwhile, Li Maoxue's 11th Infantry Division had arrived in Puchang, within Xizhou territory.

This place, a small town between Illinois and West Virginia, is usually garrisoned by two or three thousand Saman cavalry.

However, when the defenses of Yizhou City were reinforced earlier, the Saman cavalry in Puchang City had already been completely withdrawn.

After the collapse of the defenses in Yizhou and the fleeing of the garrison, there were no more troops left in the entire city of Puchang.

However, there are still nearly 10,000 Samans in the city.

Faced with such a city, after Li Maoxue's 11th Infantry Division arrived, they had only fired a few shots before taking down Puchang City.

Immediately, Li Maoxue's 11th Infantry Division remained in Puchang City to begin clearing out the Samans within the city.

After a few days' stay, Zhao Chun's troops also arrived at Puchang City.

A few days after the army gathered, they once again set off for Xizhou!