Lu Yuan thought, was to let them arrive at the immigrant location earlier, and then start cutting back the wilderness ahead of time to clear out a rough farmland, so that by the next year it could be cultivated.
In this way, the grain harvested next year, even if the yield was low, would somewhat offset some expenses and reduce some of the imperial court's pressure.
Similarly, the arrival of new immigrants would also change the demographic structure of Chu in Liang, diluting the number of locals.
Compared to the Liang residents who were hostile toward Chu, these Chu people who migrated north sought to establish themselves in this unfamiliar place and naturally could only rely on the imperial government.
From this perspective, they were naturally close to Chu.
With these people around, Chu could quickly take root in Central State north of the river, establishing a foundational base in the locality so as not to become rootless driftwood.