. ▁ ▁Several ▁H ui ▁Muslim ▁gener als , ▁such ▁as ▁Ma ▁Z han ' ao , ▁Ma ▁An li ang , ▁Ma ▁Q ian ling , ▁D ong ▁F ux i ang , ▁and ▁Ma ▁H ai yan ▁from ▁He z hou , ▁who ▁had ▁defect ed ▁to ▁Zu o ' s ▁army , ▁helped ▁him ▁cr ush ▁the ▁" Mus lim ▁reb els ". ▁Zu o ▁reward ed ▁them ▁by ▁re loc ating ▁the ▁Han ▁Chinese ▁from ▁the ▁sub ur bs ▁of ▁He z hou ▁to ▁another ▁place ▁and ▁allowing ▁their ▁troops ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁the ▁He z hou ▁sub ur bs ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁itself . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁Zu o ▁successfully ▁suppress ed ▁Y ak ub ▁Beg ' s ▁u pr ising ▁and ▁helped ▁to ▁negoti ate ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁Russian ▁occupation ▁of ▁the ▁border ▁city ▁of ▁I li . ▁He ▁was ▁vocal ▁in ▁the ▁debate ▁at ▁the ▁Q ing ▁imperial ▁court ▁over ▁what ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁the ▁X in ji ang ▁situation , ▁advoc ating ▁for ▁X in ji ang ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁province , ▁in ▁opposition ▁to ▁Li ▁Hong z hang , ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁abandon ▁what ▁he ▁called ▁" us eless ▁X in ji ang " ▁and ▁concent rate ▁on ▁def ending ▁China ' s ▁coast al ▁areas . ▁However , ▁Zu o ▁won ▁the ▁debate , ▁X in ji ang ▁was ▁made ▁a ▁province , ▁and ▁many ▁administrative ▁functions ▁were ▁staff ed ▁by