Chapter 32: Aftermath
It is the demeanor of a famous general to go out before the enemy and retreat after the enemy.
That's what Feng Sheng is like.
He came to Changchun Fort with more than 3,000 horses after almost all the troops had withdrawn. After him, there was no army left.
There is no need to mention He Xi welcoming He Fengsheng into the castle.
Feng Sheng was so experienced that he could tell at a glance that this Changchun Fort was not just a show-off. Although many places were rushed, for example, although the soil was dug deeply. But it is still surface soil and has not gone through processes such as cooking and drying.
It won’t be too strong over time. It will also collapse.
But this time is long, measured in decades.
The reason why the soil used to build the city wall was steamed and dried was to kill the soil and kill all the organisms and bacteria in it. Become pure dead soil. After such soil is compacted. It can last for hundreds of years and thousands of years. Because there is no microbial activity inside the city walls. Can always maintain its original form.
However, those soils that have not gone through this process. Over time, the activity of internal microorganisms is enough to loosen the city wall. One day he collapsed.
However, the process of steaming and drying is too troublesome. In fact, most city walls have never done this. Only military fortresses can be treated like this. The most famous one is Helianbobo's No. 1 city in the world, Tongwan City.
It is said that the ruins are still there.
Feng Sheng said: "What, you are not going to withdraw?"
He Xi said: "Your Excellency is wise. I am not ready to give up here."
If he didn't know where the Tatar royal court was, Feng Sheng might have severely suppressed this matter. Because the location of Changchun Fort is not very good. Some are too prominent. It is more than a hundred miles away from the port on the Liao River in Daming. And even the Ming Dynasty's castle on the Liao River. It is also a protrusion.
And here, it is like a hand of Ming Dynasty extending into the northeastern plains.
Too dangerous.
If you encounter a siege by the Tatars, you will be completely isolated and helpless.
But Feng Sheng is already planning the next war. Although he didn't know, it was better to start from Daning. It is better to start from Liaodong. But if Changchun Fort exists. Starting from Liaodong, the starting point jumped two to three hundred miles to the north.
This is not a small amount.
And He Xi’s ability. Feng Sheng has already seen it. He felt that if He Xi could keep this place, the army would have the best treatment starting from here.
Therefore, Feng Sheng didn't object much, and He Xi kept this castle. Feng Sheng said, "Logically speaking, you are the governor of Liaodong. This is under the jurisdiction of Liaodong. The power of war and defense belongs to you. Shouldn't I ask more questions? But the stakes are very important, so I will say more. How are you going to defend this place?"
However, Feng Sheng first took away most of his responsibilities. Then he asked the most crucial sentence. How to keep it?
If he wanted Feng Sheng to nod, He Xi's own plan must be reliable.
He Xi did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "My lord, I wonder how the lord plans to arrange the people Naha brought here?"
Feng Sheng knew that He Xi was coveting this group of people. After all, there was a shortage of people everywhere in the north. Feng Sheng said; "All the generals and their families, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 people. These people were all sent to Nanjing and resettled separately in a county affiliated to Nanjing. Of course, the court will not treat them badly. And these people, Settlement in the north. However, the general principle is that it is better to be farther away from the border."
Over the years, Ming Dynasty has gained experience in accepting surrendered prisoners.
Nanjing is definitely the most prosperous place in the world now. Don't say anything else. The people near Nanjing have been tax-free for more than ten years and are much richer than other places. It is enough to support the prosperity of Nanjing City. Moreover, Nanjing is Zhu Yuanzhang's old base. Most of them are die-hard fans of Zhu Yuanzhang.
These few thousand people are separated and settled around Nanjing. These people will only become Nanjing common people in the future and will not cause any trouble.
As for these hundreds of thousands of people, it is natural for them to be resettled in the north. Not to mention whether these people adapt to life in the South. Just looking at the population of the north and the south today, the south is far more populous than the north. There are also large open spaces in the north. It is natural to place it in the north.
As for not being close to the border, I am also worried that some people here will escape. Or seduce the Mongols into bandits.
This is the proper meaning of the title.
Historically, these people were placed in Hebei. Finally became Han Chinese.
He Xi immediately said: "The Duke is right, but now there is a question. Where can I find food in the north that can feed so many people?"
Feng Sheng's mind changed and he thought to himself, "This is also a problem."
Before the war began in the Ming Dynasty, the enemy was expected to be lenient. But I didn’t expect that there would be such a big harvest. Captured so many people at once. At that time, the frontline generals thought that it would be enough to capture 50,000 to 60,000 people. Unexpectedly, it suddenly increased ten times.
It is difficult to accommodate hundreds of thousands of mouths. However, Feng Sheng thought about it immediately. I immediately knew what He Xi meant. Because there is enough food in Liaodong now, and when spring flowers bloom, the trade between Liaodong and Jiangnan continues to expand, and there is much more food to accommodate these people.
The only problem is probably that it's not close enough to the border.
However, Feng Sheng still believed in He Xi's ability.
I believe He Xi can handle this matter well.
Although Feng Sheng knew He Xi's intention, he was not prepared to say it directly. He said, "Don't worry, not all the food in the north is transported by sea. Some of it is transported by river. Not to mention that when Wei Guogong was in Peiping, he was actively farming. In addition to using troops in Peiping, they also saved hundreds of thousands of stones of food, which is enough for resettlement. Don't worry."
He Ximing knew that Feng Sheng had done this intentionally, but he couldn't help it anymore and said, "My lord, why bother looking far away? Just arrange it in Liaodong. I am confident that I can place them well. And there is something that needs these people right now." Come and do it. It can be considered as making the best use of everything."
Feng Sheng said; "How do you hold on to this place?"
He Xi was stunned and said with a wry smile: "The Duke's eyes are as bright as a torch."
Feng Sheng said; "Don't flatter me. Just say it directly."
He Xi said, "Yes." Then he pointed down from the city wall. He said: "Please see, Lord, the pier below is at the foot of the city wall. As long as the waterway is connected, this city will never fall. Today's Tatars no longer know how to fight water wars."
Feng Sheng originally wanted to say, where is the navy here?
Because below is the Songhua River. The Songhua River originates from Changbai Mountain, flows northwest first, then flows northeast in a large circle, and merges into the Heilongjiang River to the sea. Liaodong is the Liaohe River system, and the two sides do not intersect.
Even if there are thousands of ships on the Liao River, they can't reach the Songhua River. But using horse-drawn carriages and manpower to carry these small boats into the Songhua River had problems even for transporting grain. Not to mention. Fighting.
Only people without common sense would think this way.
Is He Xi a person without common sense? Feng Sheng knew that He Xi was not. Then there must be a problem here. Feng Sheng's mind changed and he said, "Do you want to dig a canal?"
Yes. This is Feng Sheng's only answer.
Something to do with hundreds of thousands of prisoners. There is only one canal to be dug connecting the Liaohe River and the Songhua River.
He Xi said, "The Duke is wise. This is what I mean. As long as the Liao River and Songhua River are dug, and the Liaodong ships directly enter the Songhua River Basin, the Duke will have as much grain and grass as he needs, and he can reach as far as he wants. How far away, there are no worries anymore.”
Feng Sheng's heart was pounding.
Don't say anything else. He knows the direction of water in the Northeast region. As soon as the navy of the Ming Dynasty entered the Songhua River Basin, they faced the remnants of the Ming Dynasty without a navy. Directly controlling the river, in a place with dense waterways like the Northeast, is equivalent to controlling a transportation network.
Although the Northeast River Channel has not been repaired, there are various problems. But that is much better than on land, where people carry horses and carry loads.
In this battle, He Xi's greatest contribution was that he transported food to the front line. And the reason why He Xi can do it. Isn’t it just because of the river transport? And it was only transported by some small boats. Once the canal is opened and large ships enter the Liaohe River directly, who will rule this place from now on? Need I say more?
Based on this, is it still difficult to chase death to the north and destroy this imperial eclipse?
Feng Sheng pondered for a moment, thought over and over, and said, "Can this canal be built? How much manpower and material resources are needed?"
