Making more than thirty million people trek over thirty thousand li to Youzhou, then relocate to Ice Province and Yan Province farther north, was no easy task.
Even though Ice City's people were exceptionally capable, and men and women, young and old, had all practiced martial arts to some extent and possessed extremely robust bodies, it was still far from simple.
Moreover, people from more satellite and branch cities would soon arrive to join them.
The number migrating to Bing and Yan Provinces was expected to reach a staggering hundred and forty million. Feeding them, managing their bodily needs, planning routes, preventing epidemics, and everything else would be immensely troublesome.
Throughout the dynasties, great migrations had always caused enormous loss of life.
People died of disease, exhaustion, or all manner of natural disasters and warfare.
It was said that the Xi Emperor and Feng Hou had once led a hundred and seventy-five tribes, comprising four hundred and ninety million humans, south.
Yet by the time they reached the Divine Land, only seventy million remained.
That was why Chu Xisheng took this extremely seriously.
He knew the key lay in meticulous organization.
An army could not move without a general; a snake could not travel without its head.
Fortunately, Ice City's officials had not been wiped out in one sweep. The Western City Party Wen Suyi had left Chu Xisheng was fairly efficient and willing to obey his instructions.
The grassroots officials, in particular, remained virtually intact.
Besides that, Wen Suyi had left him an extraordinarily substantial foundation.
Ice City's government storehouses held not only armor and weapons sufficient to equip seven million people, but also immense quantities of gold and silver, and enough provisions to feed its population for two years.
Most of these would be transported to Youzhou by