▁his ▁Hun an ▁officers . ▁ ▁Zu o ▁was ▁out sp oken ▁in ▁calling ▁for ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁hoping ▁to ▁sett le ▁the ▁matter ▁by ▁attack ing ▁Russian ▁forces ▁in ▁X in ji ang ▁with ▁his ▁X i ang ▁Army . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁when ▁t ension ▁increased ▁in ▁X in ji ang , ▁Zu o ▁mass ed ▁Q ing ▁forces ▁toward ▁the ▁Russian - occup ied ▁K uld ja . ▁The ▁Canadian ▁Spect ator ▁stated ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁" News ▁from ▁Turk est an ▁says ▁the ▁Chinese ▁are ▁concentr ating ▁against ▁K uld ja , ▁a ▁post ▁in ▁K ash gar ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁Rus si ans ... ▁It ▁is ▁reported ▁that ▁a ▁Russian ▁expedition ▁from ▁Y art ▁V erna ic ▁has ▁been ▁fired ▁upon ▁by ▁Chinese ▁troops ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁return ." ▁The ▁Rus si ans ▁were ▁afraid ▁of ▁the ▁Q ing ▁forces , ▁thousands ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁armed ▁with ▁modern ▁weapons ▁and ▁trained ▁by ▁European ▁officers . ▁Because ▁the ▁Russian ▁forces ▁near ▁the ▁Q ing ▁Empire ' s ▁border ▁were ▁under - mann ed ▁and ▁under - equ ipped , ▁they ▁agreed ▁to ▁negoti ate . ▁ ▁Zu o ' s ▁X i ang ▁Army ▁troops ▁were ▁armed ▁with ▁modern ▁German ▁D rey se ▁need le ▁rif les ▁and ▁Kru pp ▁art illery , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁few ▁experimental ▁weapons . ▁ ▁For ▁all ▁his ▁contributions ▁to ▁his ▁nation ▁and ▁monarch , ▁Zu o ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁Grand