most of the huiyuan (manchu kulja) fell to the rebels on january8, 1866. the majority of the residents and garrison perished along with some 700 rebels. mingsioi, still holding out in the huiyuan fortress with the remainder of his troops, but having run out of food, sent a delegation to the rebels, bearing a gift of 40 sycees of silver and four boxes of green tea, and offered to surrender, provided the rebels guaranteed their lives and allowed them to keep their allegiance to the qing government. twelve manchu officials with their families left the citadel along with the delegation. the huis and taranchis received them and allowed the refugees from huiyuan to settle in yining ("the old kuldja"). however, the rebels would not accept mingsioi's conditions, requiring instead that he surrender immediately and recognize the authority of the rebels. since mingsioi had rejected the rebels' proposal, they immediately stormed the citadel. on march3, the rebels having broken into the citadel, mingsioi assembled his family and staff in his mansion, and blew it up, dying under its ruins. this was the temporary end, for the time being, of qing rule in the ili valley.