They still had to rely on the Liaohe River to transport food and supplies. In addition to the Jilin Shipyard, the Ming army in Liaodong also built ships at the Julu River Ferry, Wula and other places for transportation purposes.

At the same time, warehouses were built to store military rations in Dengzi Village in the upper reaches of the Liao River and Yitunmen (Yitong County) where the Yitun River flowed.

When transporting supplies by water, they were shipped to the Dengzi Village granary in spring and autumn. Since there was no waterway between Dengzi Village and Yitunmen, the supplies had to be transported by land using vehicles. Once at Yitunmen, they were loaded onto ships again and transported along the Songhua River to the frontier.

If this combined water and land transport route is successfully opened, it will solve the key problem of going north to the Songhua River and even the Heilongjiang River Basin, and will also promote the development of the Northeast economy in the future.

What is more crucial are the two major sea outlets of Heilongjiang River and Tumen River, which can directly reach Nagasaki, Japan, Busan, North Korea, as well as major ports in China.

In fact, the emperor did not lose his enthusiasm for the development and construction of the Northeast. In his view, the Northeast was better than the Northwest during a major disaster and could accommodate more people.

The northwest is experiencing droughts, with some lasting three to five years, and others as long as more than ten years. The northeast is cold, and may also experience droughts, but they are not as severe as those in the northwest.

Historically, drought and cold should be of the same level, causing similar damage to crop production.

But now it’s different. Potatoes, corn, rye and other crops are cold-resistant and drought-resistant, and even have short growing periods, so they are much more resistant to the cold.

You know, the severe drought in Northwest China is inseparable from ecological damage.

Since the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the entire Guanzhong Plain has been suffering from serious over-exploitation and ecological degradation. The trees in the Qinling Mountains have been cut down, vegetation is sparse, and disasters are frequent, causing the Guanzhong region to withdraw from the stage of history.

Similar ecological damage was very common in ancient times. For example, sandstorms had already occurred in Beijing during the Ming Dynasty. This was directly related to the reduction of trees and vegetation in Yanshan Mountain, which had lost its barrier function for Beijing.

The ecological environment in Northeast China is good, with a high forest coverage rate. Human development is far from reaching the red line, and there is no need to worry about the punishment of nature.

Of course, migrating from the northwest to the northeast does not mean abandoning the northwest. From a strategic perspective, the northwest is also extremely important.

If it doesn’t rain, we can build water conservancy facilities and draw water from rivers for irrigation.

In principle, they planted as much as they could and harvested as much as they could. For every kilogram of crops harvested locally, five or six kilograms had to be shipped in. Given the road and transportation conditions at the time, the losses on the road were quite alarming.

The same is true for the Northeast at present. If it cannot be self-sufficient and cannot provide food and supplies for the northward advance, and relies solely on external shipments, the court will be under tremendous pressure.

Mao Wenlong smiled and nodded at Zhang Pan's suggestion. He said, "Since there's no rush here, let's transfer a group of craftsmen to Siping! If we postpone the march north for a year, even if there are fewer people, and the ships can be built here, these craftsmen can stay in Siping."

Zhang Pan readily agreed. Firstly, it was his superior's request, and secondly, there was an extra year, and as Mao Wenlong said, even with fewer people, he could still complete a sufficient number of ships.

"Your Majesty's determination to expand our territory northward remains unchanged, but eliminating the remaining Jiannu is no longer the primary goal." Mao Wenlong said to the crowd as they walked, "Just remember one principle: the gains from war must outweigh the costs, and Your Majesty will approve."

"So that's how it is," everyone nodded. Knowing this was crucial; it was like understanding the divine will.

"Land is also wealth. If we occupy and manage it for one or two years, we can be self-sufficient, and the Emperor will support us..." Mao Wenlong felt that since he had said it, he might as well say more to boost the morale of his soldiers.

The implication is clear: advancing northward will be a long-term national policy, and there will be no shortage of opportunities for achievement. However, this requires careful consideration and the ability to exercise restraint, avoiding what history books describe as "wasteful military spending."

To manage the economy well and recover quickly, population is the most important factor. Whether it is the Koreans who cross the border to survive or the ethnic minorities in Nurgandusi, they must be well utilized, that is, a combination of kindness and force.

The Nationality Law, previously promulgated by the imperial court, was a perfect opportunity to play a role. Jilin Prefecture was under a three-year military control period, and key generals like Zhang Pan had to learn how to manage both the military and the people.

Of course, the court also sent a number of civil officials, all of whom entered the official career through the transfer of officials. In terms of actual work ability, they are still quite good.

………………

Fenghua (today's Lishu County), which is under the jurisdiction of Siping, was called Pianlian City in ancient times, and commonly known as Maimai Street.

Because it is located in a strategic place in the northern border, where "bandits are rampant" and "stubborn people are constantly stealing", the rulers, in order to educate the local "stubborn people", vigorously promoted the idea of ​​"obeying the king's rule", and therefore named it Fenghua.

In the Ming Dynasty, Fenghua was just a small village, but after years of construction by soldiers and immigrants, it has become a small town.

As the former home of the Yehe tribe, a considerable number of Yehe descendants moved here and settled down under the planning and arrangements of the government.

Most of the immigrants were Han people, and most of them were Liao people who returned to Liaodong after the war.

The first choice of these Liao people was of course their original hometown villages, but after the Liao was pacified, the government began to divide the land and set up villages and towns.

The people who had been in Liaodong before the restoration, as well as the retired officers and soldiers, naturally could not wait for arrangements. Therefore, many Liaodong people who had been resettled in the pass no longer had their original land when they returned home.

There was still a lot of land left in Liaodong, but the newly established Jilin Prefecture introduced more preferential policies, which also attracted many immigrants.

Erya's family was one of the many people who chose Jilin Prefecture and was settled in Fenghua Village by the government. With the establishment of Siping County, it was upgraded to Fenghua Town.

The sun was scorching overhead, and the potato seedlings in the fields were growing well and looking lush green.

Erya's father carried two buckets of water and walked from one end of the ridge to the other, watering the fields and crops.

Fenghua Town is bordered by the Dongliao River to the east and the Shiling River in the middle. Officers, soldiers and immigrants dug ditches and canals, resulting in a considerable number of irrigated fields here.

Erya's father was about to go to the ditch to fetch water, but he saw a familiar figure walking towards him from the village, so he hurriedly picked up an empty bucket and went to meet him.

"Come to the shade quickly. It's so hot today. I'm busy delivering the food to you." Erya's father greeted his wife with concern, took the lunch basket with one hand, and quickly led his wife to the shade of the tree next to him.

"It's such a short walk, and you're still tired?" The wife walked under the shade of a tree and looked at her husband's sunburned face. A trace of pity flashed in her eyes, and she urged him, "Hurry up and eat. It's already past noon."

Erya's father put a wooden barrel on the ground for his wife to sit on. He used another barrel as a table, put the rice basket on it, and said, "Let's eat together!"

"I've eaten." The wife lifted the cloth, revealing half a can of porridge, steamed buns, potatoes and two pickles.

Erya's father smiled and said, "I told you not to wait for me, and you are obedient today."

As he said this, he found a stone to sit on, took the wet cloth handed to him by his wife, wiped his hands and face, picked up the porridge pot and drank it in big gulps.