The construction of signal towers has enabled communications to reach astonishing speeds.
Although the official decree or order was still transmitted through the post, it did not affect Mao Wenlong's advance arrangements.
All the generals had arrived on time in the conference hall. After taking their seats, they chatted or laughed, and the atmosphere was quite relaxed.
The enemy has been defeated. It will take some time to wipe out the enemy, but it is already impossible to resist the advance of the Ming army. Its destruction is only a matter of time.
The army's combat effectiveness is still improving, mainly due to the abundance of war horses, which has led to more and more cavalry, enhanced mobility, and sharper weapons and equipment. The generals are full of confidence.
As a soldier, only by fighting in battles can one gain military merit and be promoted quickly; wasting time to gain experience is obviously not what most officers want.
What's more, the army's combat effectiveness is there, and the remnants of the Jiannu and the Mongolian tribes are not taken seriously by these officers.
Since we have the confidence to win the battle, we will not be afraid of fighting. In fact, the lack of fighting will make people feel bored.
"That tiger must have weighed three or four hundred pounds, and I took it down with one shot," Yang Guozhu said excitedly. "If it weren't for the hot weather and the fear of it spoiling, I would have gotten some tiger meat for you to eat."
At that time, Liaodong was full of barren mountains and old forests. Tigers were plentiful, and they weren't even protected species. There were also plenty of other wild animals like wild boars, bears, roe deer, and deer. It was easy to catch roe deer with a club or fish with a ladle.
All of them were born into military families, so hunting was naturally their favorite thing. Not only the generals, but also the soldiers, for the safety of the immigrant villages, did not hesitate to hunt the wild animals in the surrounding mountains and forests.
"It's a pity to waste such a good tiger skin." Yang Guozhu shook his head with a hint of regret. "The heavy musket was too fierce. The tiger's head was smashed to pieces."
Zhang Pan smiled and said, "If we use a light rifle, the tiger probably won't die in one shot. It's struggling to survive, so it's not easy to get a good tiger skin. Only if the tiger is shot in the eye and the lead enters the brain and dies, can it be considered a good tiger skin."
The generals next to him agreed and asked Zhang Pan curiously whether there were many wild animals near the shipyard city and whether hunting was enjoyable.
Zhang Pan smiled slightly and said, "There must be a lot of wild animals, but I don't have time to hunt. However, my men have made quite a few gains."
"Establishing a village is indeed very busy and tiring." Huang Long looked at Zhang Pan with understanding and said, "There aren't many civilians. We have to rely on the army for everything."
Zhang Pan nodded to Huang Long in gratitude and said, "Although the work of paving roads, felling trees, building houses, and cultivating wasteland is tedious and busy, thanks to the incentives, the soldiers don't find it hard. Some even plan to settle down here and farm, fish, and hunt."
The emperor required the army to be capable of both fighting and construction and production. According to the emperor's habits and temperament, no work was in vain; it was converted into post-retirement benefits, and was even linked to military merit.
For example, if you reclaim ten acres of wasteland, you will be rewarded with two acres. The money will be distributed together when you retire, and can also be given to relatives. This is a very real benefit, not just empty talk.
For example, work such as paving roads and building houses also provided additional subsidies in addition to the military pay. The more work, the more rewards, and this is how the enthusiasm of the officers and soldiers was mobilized.
Nara Zhongming interjected, "West of the Great Black Mountain is mostly plains, which is indeed suitable for settlement. Although the climate is a bit cold, there are rye and potatoes, so it's still possible to farm and harvest them."
From a later perspective, Jilin Province can be divided into two major landforms: the eastern mountainous area and the central and western plains, with the Dahei Mountain in the middle as the boundary. If the Songliao watershed is used as the boundary, the north is the Songnen Plain and the south is the Liaohe Plain.
Moreover, historically, Jilin Province was not an inland province. At its largest, it extended eastward to the banks of the Ussuri River and the islands along the river and in the sea, including Sakhalin Island, and northward from the Greater Khingan Range to the Sea of Japan and the lower reaches of the Heilongjiang River.
Of course, the Ming army had only just advanced to the Shipyard City, also called Jilin, which was the earliest location of Jilin City in later generations.
Zhang Pan nodded in agreement to Nara Zhongming's interjection, showing no signs of discrimination or disdain. However, some generals curled their lips slightly, their eyes revealing contempt.
After all, they are two different nationalities. Although they have been naturalized into the Ming Dynasty, it still takes time to deepen the level of acceptance.
In addition to Nara Zhongming, there were three other Jurchen officers present, all of whom had made contributions to the rebellion in the later period of the Ping Liao War.
However, from their current hairstyles and clothing, the distinction between different ethnic groups is no longer discernible. This was also a rigid requirement of the emperor, and it was also a sign of sincerity that the Jurchens who surrendered had to show.
The Jianzhou Wei no longer exists, and the Wei system has been completely abolished in Liaodong, replaced by the prefectures, counties and districts.
Nara Zhongming was the supreme commander of the Jurchen army, while Leng Sengji jointly managed the Jurchen government affairs with Han officials sent by the court.
The five thousand naturalized troops, together with Zhang Pan's troops, formed the vanguard advancing northward and would also participate in the battle to wipe out the remnants of the Jiannu.
The naturalized Mongolian soldiers will become the troops fighting against Ligdan Khan; the naturalized Jurchens will also be the troops fighting against the remaining Jiannu.
There was no need to worry about showing mercy to fellow tribesmen, or even colluding with them in rebellion. As long as the Ming army remained strong, clinging to the strong and standing on the side of the victor was the most reasonable decision.
"The imperial court has already issued an order to rebuild the Shipyard City and rename it Jilin." Huang Long stroked his beard and said, "In my opinion, immigration and settlement are inevitable. The officers and soldiers are willing to settle here, which is quite insightful."
Zhang Pan pondered for a moment and was about to speak when the soldier at the door loudly announced that Marshal Mao had arrived.
All the generals stood up in a hurry, bowed to Mao Wenlong who entered the room, and said in unison: "This general greets you, Marshal Mao."
Mao Wenlong nodded slightly, walked to the main seat at the conference table, glanced at the generals, and then lowered his hand and said, "No need to be so polite, everyone sit down and discuss the military affairs!"
"Thank you, Marshal Mao." The generals bowed to express their gratitude.
Mao Wenlong sat down and waited for a moment before slowly speaking, "The imperial court has issued an edict to establish a prefecture in Jilin, which will be under the jurisdiction of the Liaodong Governor. The permanent garrison will be set at 3,000..."
The generals were somewhat surprised. They had not expected the imperial court to establish a government in Jilin so quickly and to station 3,000 troops there. This showed the importance the imperial court attached to the Jilin region.
To say that we attach great importance to something may not be entirely accurate; to say that we are anxious about it may be more appropriate.
You should know that the Jilin Shipyard was originally just an operating station used to strengthen the connection between the Liaodong Regional Commandery and the Nurgan Regional Commandery. Later it was abandoned and became the property of the Haixi Jurchens.
The establishment of a prefectural government now also meant that Jilin was unlikely to be a frontier or border, but rather a new base for advancing northward.
As expected, Mao Wenlong continued, "The goals for this year and next have been achieved. The next step is to fully focus on reclamation and management. In two years, or at the latest three years, Your Majesty hopes that the flag of the Ming Dynasty will fly high in Shangjing (now Acheng District, Harbin)..."
Shangjing, once the secondary capital of the Jin Dynasty, now even had no accurate name. Mao Wenlong called it by its old name, and with the emperor's instructions, it immediately gave it an unusual meaning.
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