A band of Yunnanese led by Yang Zengxin quelled the rebellion and established himself as the provincial leader.

During the National Protection War, he purged officers who sympathized with the Yunnan clique's leader Cai E. After Yuan's death, he recognized whichever government ruled in Beijing and maintained an isolationist and neutrality policy which kept Xinjiang away from the upheavals experienced in the rest of China.

[1] Yang's future deputy, Fan Yaonan,[1] had been studying in Japan when he was appointed as military attache of Xinjiang by Li Yuanhong.

[2][3] Fan heavily disliked Yang's government policy of keeping the people ignorant and tried to bring in more progressive ideas to the region.

Sheng turned Xinjiang into a Soviet protectorate and safe haven for the Chinese Communist Party.

Chiang Kai-shek couldn't trust Sheng, who tried renegotiating with Joseph Stalin, so he deposed him and installed direct rule in 1944.