Xu Guangqi's ennoblement meant a major change in the emperor's attitude.
Although the emperor had repeatedly encouraged the soldiers in his imperial edicts and promised to reward them with titles of nobility, that was not a promise, and no one expected to be promoted to a nobility.
Not to mention being granted a title of nobility, even if it was an earl, look at Li Chengliang. Compared with him, there is no hope.
If the emperor's previous words had given the generals some hope, now that the title had become a reality, they could finally put their minds at ease.
There is nothing else to do but work hard, make achievements, and earn as much military merit as possible!
Mao Wenlong felt a lot more relaxed and talked more, but it was a natural emotion.
"With the army, civilians, and the Liao people returning home, the most difficult time is when there's a shortage of food." Mao Wenlong made a quick estimate and said, "I'm afraid we'll need to supply over a million dan of grain alone."
Chen Zilong nodded and said, "The specific numbers have been calculated. Only when the imperial court can guarantee the supply can we determine the number of Liao people returning home. Of course, in addition to the imperial court's supply, there are many other ways to alleviate the situation."
There are many ways to survive the famine, such as hunting, fishing, and collecting wild vegetables. However, the fishing industry, which has already become an industry, should be the mainstay and provide the greatest help.
"Reconstruction isn't just about farming. We need to utilize work-for-relief programs to improve Liaodong's infrastructure." Wang Jizhong took a bite of his food and said slowly, "Roads are the most important. They will greatly promote Liaodong's development. As the saying goes, if you want to get rich, you must first build roads."
Chen Zilong, Mao Wenlong and others all turned their attention to Wang Jizhong, thinking that what he said sounded quite smooth, and wondered where the allusion came from.
Wang Jizhong blinked, smiled awkwardly, and said, "This is what the emperor said, and Governor Wu conveyed it to us officials going to Liaodong."
Looking at Chen Zilong who was still confused, Wang Ji explained again: "You were not there that day because you said goodbye to Lord Xu."
Oh, so that’s how it is.
Chen Zilong nodded and said, "Long live the wise emperor. If Liaodong's land and water transportation were not hindered, its development would indeed be much smoother."
Mao Wenlong also agreed, saying, "The water route is the most convenient. Following the Hun River, we can reach Fushun and Sarhu, which is the perfect base for our army to advance northward and suppress the slaves."
"Water transport is certainly convenient, but it's frozen for several months." Chen Zilong stroked his chin and said, "Transporting and storing more before the freezing weather sets in might be a solution."
After saying this, he looked at Mao Wenlong with some doubt and asked, "Are you still going to march north tomorrow? I thought we would rest for a year!"
Mao Wenlong smiled and shook his head, but did not give a detailed explanation. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and continue to send troops to attack the remaining Jiannu after a little reorganization.
But this still needs to be decided by the imperial court. As Chen Zilong worried, a large number of Liao people would return home to rebuild Liaodong, which would cause food and supplies to become a problem.
The army also had to participate in spring plowing, so the earliest time to start would be in summer, but the weather was unfavorable. Therefore, Mao Wenlong estimated that autumn was the most likely time.
Of course, not launching a large-scale northward movement did not mean that the army would remain idle. Pushing the defense line northward, building forts, and storing food and fodder were certain to continue.
After eating and drinking, it was already late at night. Everyone said goodbye and went to their rooms to rest.
Mao Wenlong finally saw the latest issue of "Daming Forum", which Chen Zilong and others brought and generously gave to him.
Mao Wenlong lit the candle, drank tea, and flipped through the newspaper. His eyes fixed on one of the articles.
"Yishiha, the Nurgandusi?!" Mao Wenlong exclaimed in surprise. Gou Zhenhuai had already walked to the door and couldn't help but turn his head.
After a brief thought, Gou Zhenhuai said, "Yishiha was the ninth governor of Nurgan Prefecture. He always went there by boat, right?"
Mao Wenlong, knowing no more than Gou Zhenhuai, glanced quickly at the article before nodding and saying, "They went there by boat. It says here that a shipyard was built in Ashhada, and that they would ride the spring monsoon winds down the river, from the Songhua River into the Heilong River, and then straight down to Nurgan."
Gou Zhenhuai walked back and sat across from the table, saying thoughtfully, "So, if we want to march north to annihilate the Jiannu, we can either advance by land and sea, or use the navy to transport troops and food, which would be much faster."
Mao Wenlong nodded slightly, quickly finished reading the article, pushed the newspaper in front of Gou Zhenhuai, and said, "It took Yishiha a year to build 25 huge ships, and they had to take advantage of the spring monsoon. It's definitely not going to be possible next year, so we'll have to wait until the year after."
Gou Zhenhuai read the newspaper, pondered for a while, and guessed, "I'm afraid that's what Your Majesty is thinking. Suppressing the Jiannu is only one of the goals. Appeasing the barbarians and rebuilding the Nurgan Regional Command should be more important."
Mao Wenlong agreed, saying, "The remnants of the Jiannu are no longer a threat. It's no surprise that Your Majesty wants to repeat the Nurgan Dusi plan. I just don't know whether he'll continue to establish garrisons and station troops to protect the seal, or directly occupy the area and establish colonies."
The so-called Seal Protection Army was the garrison troops left in Nurgandusi by the Ming Dynasty. The number of regular garrison troops was 2,000 or more than 1,000 people, with a maximum of 3,000 people and a minimum of no less than 500 people.
The Indian Protection Army was usually rotated every two years, and officers and soldiers who returned to Liaodong after completing their military service were given generous rewards as a reward for their garrison in the harsh and cold land.
Mao Wenlong and Gou Zhenhuai discussed the matter for a while before going to rest. Although they had similar guesses, they still underestimated the emperor's ambitions.
Rebuilding the Nurgan Regional Military Commission? No, the emperor wanted direct governance, not some kind of vassal state.
To appease the distant lands? No, the emperor wanted to relocate the people of the Ming Dynasty to Haixi, establish cities and counties, and establish a stable occupation.
Two or three thousand soldiers guarding the Seal, rotating garrisons? No, the Emperor planned to station at least tens of thousands of troops, and to allow them to settle down and make Haixi their home.
Of course, this is no longer a plan for one or two years, but a long-term plan of at least three to five years, or even ten years.
………………
Unfortunately, the waterway that goes deep into Nurgandusi and reaches further places is only a one-way street.
The emperor looked at the sand table that had expanded again, and his sight swept over Denglai - Lushun - Kaiyuan Laomiwan - Ashhada - Songhua River - Heilongjiang River - Tatar Strait - Kuyi (Sakhalin Island) - Hokkaido, Japan in turn.
Although it is a one-way route, it is the fastest route. There are enough ships and the carrying capacity is also considerable, which can fully support the expedition of tens of thousands of troops.
That’s right, it’s an expedition, the emperor has already defined it.
The two-way water and land routes leading to Haixi also need to be developed, or rebuilt.
Yishihajiu was sent to Nurgandusi and had already paved a long post road.
This post road starts from the ancient city of Shijia in Shuangcheng City in the south, passes through Acheng, passes through Niaohe in Bin County, and goes north along the Songhua River. It enters the Heilongjiang River at Heixiazi Island and goes straight to the mouth of the Heilongjiang River. There are ten cities and forty-five stations in total, covering more than two thousand miles.
According to conservative estimates, if we advance northward by 100 miles every year, we will almost achieve our goal in 20 years.
Twenty years? I'm not even fifty yet, so it's definitely not too late.
The emperor pursed his lips slightly, as if smiling, and his eyes stayed on a place on the sand table - Vladivostok.
If we use water masters, it may not take twenty years at all, but only ten years.
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