Song Dynasty: Yuan Dynasty, you didn't expect this, did you? I'm still alive.

As the warship slowly approached the shore, and the gangplank was firmly in place, Zhao Shi stepped onto the slightly swaying wooden plank and onto the land of Kaohsiung.

Beneath my feet was damp earth, mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees, unlike the sticky Fujian Road, and without the hustle and bustle of Lin'an City.

He took a deep breath, the salty sea breeze filling his lungs, and the dizziness and turbulence from days of sailing instantly dissipated.

His fingertips touched the rough tree trunk beside him, and the real touch brought tears to his eyes—after being transported here, he had finally had a moment's respite from the days of wandering and uncertainty, and he felt as if he had come back to life.

Zhao Shi clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, and silently vowed: In this life, I will only suffer this once. For the rest of my life, I will live a peaceful and happy life, making this journey through time worthwhile.

After Lu Xiufu's six months of meticulous management, coupled with the labor of tens of thousands of natives, large settlements have been built near Kaohsiung.

The wooden houses, with rammed earth walls and felled timber beams, are neatly arranged. The moat dug around the settlement meanders and is lined with sharpened wooden spikes to protect against wild animals.

The terraced fields, which have been cultivated in large areas, spread out along the mountainside, and fresh footprints are still visible on the ridges. This scale is enough to accommodate 700,000 Song Dynasty people to live here.

Just then, a dusty and travel-worn group appeared on the mountain road in the distance, led by Lu Yong, who was ordered to explore southward.

When the news reached Lu Xiufu's residence, he was working on a land reclamation plan on a sand table. Upon hearing that Lu Yong had returned, his eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly. He didn't even bother to tidy up the pen and ink on his desk and strode out to personally greet Lu Yong at the entrance of the settlement.

"Shoujie (Lu Yong's courtesy name)! You're finally back!" Lu Xiufu strode forward, his eyes eagerly scanning Lu Yong up and down. Seeing that although Lu Yong looked weathered, he was still in good spirits, and his anxiety eased slightly. His voice was filled with barely concealed excitement, "How did the exploration of the Southern Island go? Any breakthroughs?"

Lu Yong bowed to Lu Xiufu, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said in a deep voice, "Reporting to Lord Lu, after sailing south from Kaohsiung for more than two thousand miles, we have indeed discovered a large island! Preliminary surveys indicate that its area is twice the size of Ryukyu."

"What is the environment like on the island? Is it suitable for living?" Lu Xiufu stepped forward and pressed for the core question.

Lu Yong's face turned serious, and he shook his head: "Similar to Ryukyu, it is mostly a land of miasma, with heavy humidity in the forests. The poisonous insects that breed there are even more ferocious than those in Ryukyu. Several of our scouts have already been bitten by these insects and have almost lost their lives."

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiufu frowned, his fingertips unconsciously stroking his beard. After a moment of contemplation, he asked again, "Are there any residents on the island? Is there a city-state?"

"There is no city-state system, only some savages living together." Lu Yong's tone was somewhat disdainful. "These people are thin and have messy hair. They wear simple leaf clothes. From a distance, they look almost the same as monkeys in the mountains. Without careful observation, it is impossible to tell whether they are human or beast."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Xiufu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed abruptly, his eyes gleaming with delight. He slapped his thigh twice and laughed loudly, "It's good to have people! It's good to have people! As long as there's land, no matter how harsh the environment, we can always find a way to overcome it. With these locals here, we have more manpower for land reclamation!"

He immediately ordered someone to prepare documents and send the good news to Wen Tianxiang, who was in Ryukyu.

When Wen Tianxiang received the news, he was reviewing the resettlement list of migrants. After reading it, he was overjoyed and exclaimed, "The land of Nanyang truly holds great potential! This is the foundation for the revival of our Great Song Dynasty!"

After exchanging letters and reaching a consensus, the two decided that Lu Xiufu would lead 5,000 soldiers and 10,000 civilians to the newly discovered island to explore new territory.

After several days of preparation, Lu Xiufu, led by Lu Yong, set sail with his fleet.

Using simple nautical charts drawn by Lu Yong, the fleet avoided several dangerous shoals and reefs, and successfully arrived at the southern island in just over ten days.

Standing on the shore of Nandao Island, gazing at the vast forests before him and the undulating mountains in the distance, Lu Xiufu took a deep breath and said to the people around him, "From now on, our Great Song Dynasty will take root and survive here. The name 'Nandao' is too vulgar. I think it would be better to name it 'Lüzong'—meaning 'a place for temporary stay,' since our ultimate goal is still to recover our lost Central Plains."

Everyone echoed in agreement.

Subsequently, Lu Xiufu immediately made arrangements: he ordered two thousand soldiers to be divided into ten teams, each with two hundred men, to conduct a carpet search of the surrounding area to survey the terrain, water sources and resources;

The remaining soldiers and civilians set up settlements on the flat areas near the coast, felling trees to build houses, digging trenches to defend against wild animals, clearing weeds to open up temporary camps, and all the work proceeded in an orderly manner.

Since they were newcomers and the farmland had not yet been cultivated, there was no need for a large number of people to work. Lu Xiufu selected 5,000 strong men from among the 10,000 people to form a militia to help the soldiers clear out the wild animals in the surrounding area.

Firstly, it could ensure the safety of the settlement, and secondly, the meat of wild animals could supplement food reserves and solve the immediate problem.

The ten scout teams dispatched were extremely efficient, returning one after another within half a day and reporting the situation in the vicinity to Lu Xiufu.

According to the scouts, the area they were in was near an open plain, with a large river flowing to the east. The river was wide and the current was rapid, with a water volume similar to that of a tributary of the Huai River (now the Cagayan River in the Philippines), making it an excellent water source.

However, along with the joy came bad news—of the two thousand scouts, dozens were injured or killed in just one day due to poisonous insect bites and wild animal attacks.

Upon hearing the casualty figures, Lu Xiufu's face darkened, his eyes filled with heartache, and he gritted his teeth inwardly: the environment on Luzon Island is even more dangerous than he had anticipated.

When one of the scouts returned, it brought back a group of savages.

These indigenous people wore simple clothes woven from leaves and vines. Their skin was as dark as charcoal, their bodies were thin and emaciated, and their hair was tangled like a mess. At first glance, they did indeed resemble monkeys somewhat.

"Lord Lu, these are the indigenous people we encountered in the nearby mountains and forests," the scout leading the group reported. "When we approached, they not only did not resist, but immediately bowed down in worship. So we brought them back for Lord Lu to decide their fate."

As soon as he finished speaking, the dozen or so savages spontaneously formed a circle and began to dance a strange dance.

They waved their hands and feet wildly, chanting obscure syllables like "Maikapaer" incessantly. Their dance was strange yet exuded a sense of piety.

After the dance, everyone knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed against the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

"What are they babbling about?" Lu Xiufu frowned and turned to look at the translators who accompanied him—these translators had dealt with the southern natives for many years and knew a little bit of their local language.

The translator leaned closer to listen carefully, and a troubled look gradually appeared on his face.

Fortunately, they were experienced and immediately stepped forward, mimicking the wild man's gestures and uttering simple syllables to barely communicate with him.

A moment later, the translator turned to Lu Xiufu, cupped his hands, and reported: "Lord Lu, these savages say that they are from a nearby tribe. Seeing that Lord Lu and his party were dressed in fine clothes and carrying 'divine weapons,' they believed that they were messengers of the gods and came to pay homage."

"A messenger of God?" Lu Xiufu was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh.

He looked down at his neat official robes, then glanced at the savages' tattered leaf clothes, and instantly understood the reason—it was simply the difference in clothing and weapons that made these natives worship them as gods.

He suppressed his smile and instructed the translator, "Ask them how many people are in this tribe? And how many similar tribes are there in this area?"

The translator stepped forward and began gesturing to the tribe's leader.

The leader understood the question and immediately stretched out his hands, awkwardly counting on his fingers one by one.

After counting to ten, he gestured for the tribespeople beside him to also extend their hands, stacking them one by one to count, which looked quite comical.

Seeing this, Lu Xiufu couldn't help but wave his hand to interrupt them, and ordered the personal guard beside him, "Someone, bring some food for them to try."

The guards quickly brought over several large platters of food—delicate wheat cakes, steaming hot cooked meat, and pickled vegetables.

What were ordinary foods to the Song soldiers were considered delicacies by the savages.

Their eyes lit up at the smell of the food, and they cautiously raised their heads. Only after receiving a signal from Lu Xiufu did they swarm forward and wolf down the food, making satisfied snoring noises.

Lu Xiufu then had several Hanfu embroidered with simple patterns brought out and bestowed them upon the tribe's leader and a few savages who appeared to be of higher status.

The wild men held the soft and comfortable Hanfu, stroking it repeatedly with their rough fingers, their faces showing ecstatic expressions. They danced around Lu Xiufu again, this time with a much more joyful dance than before.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiufu revealed a "kind" smile and gestured for the translator to convey his meaning: "I have many more clothes and delicacies like these here. Take us to your tribe, and I will bestow these things upon your people."

Upon hearing this, the savages cheered and jumped up, crowding around Lu Xiufu and his group as they walked happily toward their tribal settlement.

About half an hour later, the group arrived at their destination—a simple hut built under a big tree. Roughly counting, the tribe had more than two hundred people, which was considered a fairly large tribe in the area.

As promised, Lu Yong had the food and clothing he brought distributed to the tribespeople.

The tribal chief held the Hanfu with great affection, and immediately put it on, bowing repeatedly to Lu Xiufu.

As Lu Yong watched the leader dressed in loose Hanfu, yet still performing primitive indigenous dances with clumsy and laughable movements, the phrase "a monkey in a crown" involuntarily came to mind.

Seeing that the atmosphere was quite right, Lu Yong stepped forward and, through the translator, inquired with the tribal chief about the surrounding terrain, the distribution of other tribes, and other information.

At this moment, the leader was immersed in the joy of receiving the reward, and he answered Lu Yong's questions without reservation.

Seeing that Lu Yong's attitude was mild, the chieftain took advantage of the situation and asked Lu Yong through the translator if there were any left over from the food and clothing, and if he could give some more to the tribe.

"No more." Lu Yong's face darkened, and he refused outright.

The tribal chief's smile froze instantly, the piety in his eyes faded, replaced by dissatisfaction and wariness, and his expression gradually turned cold.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yong cursed inwardly, "Greedy and insatiable!" Knowing that this place was not a good place to stay, he immediately bid farewell to the chief and led his men back to the settlement, where he reported all the information he had gathered to Lu Xiufu.

"Lord Lu, according to the tribal chief, there is no unified country on Luzon Island, only many scattered tribes like theirs, which occasionally fight among themselves, but none of them have much power."

After listening, Lu Xiufu stroked his beard slowly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and then laughed loudly: "Good! What a no-man's-land! Shoujie, you shall immediately lead a thousand soldiers to wipe out this tribe! The women in the tribe shall be given to the soldiers who fight bravely; all the men shall be made slaves for land reclamation and labor."

"Lord Lu, during our investigation, we discovered that this tribe already had more than a dozen slaves," Lu Yong added.

"That's perfect." A cold glint flashed in Lu Xiufu's eyes. "Let these former slaves manage the newly captured savages—this is the strategy of 'using barbarians to control barbarians,' which will save us a lot of effort and also make them keep each other in check."

"Lord Lu's insight is brilliant!" Lu Yong bowed and accepted the order, secretly admiring Lu Xiufu's ruthlessness.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Lu Yong led a thousand fully armed soldiers toward the tribal settlement.

When the tribal chief saw Lu Yong arrive with his men again, he assumed they were there to bestow clothes and food upon him, and immediately led his people out to greet them with a beaming smile.

But as soon as he reached Lu Yong, before he could even speak, Lu Yong drew his sword from his waist, and with a flash of cold light, he slashed the leader to the ground.

Blood gushed out, splattering all over the surrounding savages.

After a brief moment of shock, more than twenty young savages picked up wooden sticks and stone axes to fight back, but they were no match for the well-equipped Song army and were quickly killed.

The remaining tribesmen, seeing their leader killed and their resistance futile, were terrified and knelt down to beg for mercy. In the end, they were all captured.

The Song army swept through the tribe, but apart from capturing more than a hundred savages, they found nothing of value, not even a single grain of food.

Lu kicked aside the makeshift shack on the ground and cursed, "Damn it! These savages are guarding such a precious place as Luzon Island, yet they live in such poverty, without even a single grain of food. What a waste!"

Subsequently, following Lu Xiufu's instructions, the fifty captured women were selected and given as rewards to the soldiers who fought bravely against the enemy.

These wild men had an extremely short lifespan. Most of the women who survived were young. Although they had dark skin and rough appearances, they were a rare comfort to the Song soldiers who had been away from their homes and fighting bloody battles for many years. They were like Diao Chan.

Lu Xiufu specially summoned more than a dozen slaves who were originally in the tribe.

These slaves, already oppressed by their tribal leaders, were now rescued by the Song army and put in charge of new prisoners. They instantly became masters and were naturally grateful to the Song army, cooperating with them extremely well.

Lu Xiufu asked them about the location of their original tribe and the situation of other tribes in the surrounding area.

Upon receiving accurate information, he immediately ordered his troops to successively conquer and destroy several nearby small tribes.

Subsequently, the Song army explored southward along the Luzon River (now the Cagayan River in the Philippines)—with local native prisoners leading the way. They were familiar with the habits of poisonous insects and wild animals in the mountains and forests, and could avoid danger in advance, greatly reducing the casualties of the Song army.

Lu Xiufu selected a flat area with abundant water resources in southern Luzon and established a second settlement there, dispatching 1,000 soldiers and 3,000 civilians to garrison and develop the area.

Meanwhile, the Song army continued to launch attacks on the island, capturing native savages and forcing them to participate in labor such as house construction and land reclamation. As a result, the construction progress on Luzon Island far exceeded that of Ryukyu.

Of course, as the area of ​​reclamation expanded, the conflict between the Song army and the local indigenous people became more acute than it had been in Ryukyu, and resistance incidents occurred frequently.

But Lu Xiufu never took it seriously or worried about it.

The horrific scene of the Yuan army capturing Lin'an and massacring the Song people was deeply imprinted in his heart, making him firmly believe that those who are not of our race must have different hearts.

Only by using iron-fisted methods to deal with these natives can the Song Dynasty's foundation in Luzon be secured.