The Jilin Shipyard is located in a place called Ashhada on the bank of the Songhua River. The cliff inscription stele is on the mountain on the north bank of the Songhua River. It records that Liu Qing, the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Military Region in the Ming Dynasty, led his troops here three times to build ships and transport grain and to repair the Dragon King Temple twice.

"Jiachen, Dingmaocho. General of the Cavalry, Commander-in-Chief of the Liaodong Military Commissioner Liu. The nineteenth year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, the first month of the Xinchou year, an auspicious year."

"Liu Qing, the Imperially Appointed Shipbuilding Commander-in-Chief, General of the Cavalry, and Commander-in-Chief of the Liaodong Military Commission, led his troops here in the 18th year of the Yongle reign, the 1st year of the Hongxi reign, and the 7th year of the Xuande reign..."

Mao Wenlong looked at the cliff carvings, narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded slightly.

Liu Qing was originally an unknown figure, but his three expeditions to manage the Nurgan Regional Administration were recorded in history books.

Turning around and leaving the cliff, Mao Wenlong, accompanied by generals such as Zhang Pan, climbed up the mountain, looked at the Dragon King Temple, then raised a telescope on the top of the mountain and looked at the warships neatly arranged in the river.

"We've already built twenty huge ships, only five fewer than when Yishiha went on the expedition to Nurgan." Mao Wenlong put down his telescope and said to Zhang Pan admiringly, "The situation in Jilin Prefecture, as I've seen along the way, is quite good."

Zhang Pan bowed and said, "Traveling north along the Songhua River, the spring monsoon is most suitable. If we can harvest well this year, by the time we set out on our expedition next spring, we'll have over thirty ships and a large portion of our military rations."

Mao Wenlong smiled and nodded, gently patted Zhang Pan's arm, bowed to the south, and said, "Your Majesty has a new plan. I'm afraid Jilin Prefecture will need another year to consolidate. Well, let's go down the mountain and talk while we walk."

Zhang Pan accompanied Mao Wenlong as they walked down the mountain. Finding a break, he asked, "We have 26,000 new recruits stationed in Jilin Prefecture, which should be more than enough for the northern raids. If we're concerned about supplies, we can only confirm that after the autumn harvest, right?"

Mao Wenlong smiled and said, "It's too early to be sure now, but we might as well analyze and judge it."

After a pause, Mao Wenlong looked at Zhang Pan as if testing him and said, "The Northeast Fleet will soon be established, under the Liaodong Military Region, and will be anchored in Lushun."

Northeastern Fleet? Not Liaodong Fleet.

Zhang Pan lowered his eyes and thought. The difference in the names was obviously not casual and must have some deep meaning.

Mao Wenlong gave another hint and said, "The imperial court has also borrowed the Port of Busan from Korea, where the Northeastern Fleet can dock for supplies."

Zhang Pan's eyes lit up, finally figuring out something. He tentatively said, "The imperial court wants to enter the former Nurgan Regional Command by sea. The Tumen River and the Heilongjiang River should be the two places where they flow into the sea."

Mao Wenlong smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right. Although it's just a concept, it's not difficult to realize."

Northeast China has two main routes to the sea: the Heilongjiang estuary and the Tumen River estuary in Hunchun. Going upstream from the Heilongjiang estuary, you can also reach the Songhua River.

Whether it was to blockade the river and cut off the Jiannu's retreat to the north, or to better develop the Northeast, the water transportation of the Heilongjiang and Songhua rivers, as well as the sea transportation after the rivers flow into the sea, were also very important.

"Jilin Prefecture has been consolidated for a year. Do you want to wait until the Northeast Fleet is ready so that we can attack the Jiannu from both north and south?"

Zhang Pan believed that the difficulty for the army to move north was the transportation and supply of supplies and food, which could be solved with this year's good harvest. However, the preparations for the fleet would not be completed so quickly and would have to be delayed for another year.

Mao Wenlong pondered for a moment and said, "There are other reasons for delaying the northern advance for a year. The imperial court needs to deploy troops in the southwest. If all goes well, the northern advance may proceed normally."

If the campaign against Burma goes smoothly, with little cost and rich rewards, the northward advance will not be affected.

Faced with this devastating disaster, the imperial court's enthusiasm for the northern campaign against the slaves seemed to wane. While it certainly didn't stop completely, there were signs of a slowdown.

Zhang Pan pondered this and understood the reasoning behind the decision. Disaster relief required significant investment, and with the two strategic directions of advancing north or south, the question was which one would require the least investment and yield the most.

If Liaodong can solve the problem of food and supplies on its own, or can solve most of it, it will have the confidence to continue the action, and the imperial court's finances will surely be able to provide support.

However, the natural conditions in the Northeast cannot compare to those in the South. I heard that there are only two or three harvests a year, and the grain harvest in the South alone is equivalent to that in the Northeast in two or three years.

"Steady progress doesn't mean stagnation." Mao Wenlong said with a smile, "Your Majesty's ambition remains unchanged. It's just that in the face of a major disaster, we need to make overall plans. As long as Jilin Prefecture is well developed and can provide some food and supplies for the northward advance, the plan can be postponed for a year. There's no need to be too impatient."

"I won't bother with that," Zhang Pan replied respectfully. "The Ming Dynasty has a vast territory. Your Majesty must consider all aspects. How can he just focus on Liaodong?"

Mao Wenlong nodded slightly and didn't elaborate.

As an old man in Dongjiang Town and a close confidant, Mao Wenlong still trusted Zhang Pan's abilities. Unlike other generals who were rough around the edges, Zhang Pan was a scholar and had a better future.

After the Liaodong Campaign was pacified, a number of elite soldiers and generals from the Dongjiang Town were transferred to enrich and strengthen the northern defense line.

There weren't many people left, like Zhang Pan and others. People like Huang Long were from western Liaoning and were under Mao Wenlong's control, but they were still far behind in terms of affection and intimacy.

This was normal. The court was redistributing soldiers and generals, and Mao Wenlong had his own ideas and did not object. It was the same throughout the dynasties. If a general in charge of a region formed a clique, he would inevitably be suspected and suppressed.

Therefore, Mao Wenlong thought this was a good idea. His positive attitude reassured the emperor, and he didn't have to worry too much.

Although many of his generals changed, his military command was not hindered. Isn't that enough? He also did not have the courage or idea to rely on his own troops.

He expanded the country's territory and pleased the Emperor, and only when his title was raised to the rank of Marquis would he be satisfied.

Since there is a goal to strive for and room for advancement, Mao Wenlong will naturally pay close attention to it. Not only him, but most people think the same way.

This is a normal psychology. Who, living a good life and not being pushed into a desperate situation, would have extreme thoughts and put them into action?

"Marshal Mao, they also need to build ships in Siping. Do you want to transfer some manpower from here?" Zhang Pan felt that it would be delayed for a year anyway, so there was no need to rush the shipbuilding. It would be better to support the Marshal first.

Siping, also a newly named place by the court, is located at the junction of Liaoning Province, Jilin Prefecture and Mongolia, and is an important transportation hub.

Mao Wenlong could not stay in Shenyang forever. As the Ming army advanced northward, Shenyang was too far behind and was not suitable as a military command center.

Now, Mao Wenlong has moved his headquarters to Siping and built warehouses in Yitunmen (Yitong County) and other places to store military supplies for transportation.