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

In the sixth year of the Jingyan era, the monsoon winds of Luzon Island carried warm, moist air, blowing across the crisscrossing rice paddies and taro fields. The banners of the Eastern Song Dynasty had already been flying over this land for six years, and the once wild and desolate land was now filled with the smoke of cooking fires and teeming with life.

That year, news that could change the fate of the Eastern Song Dynasty came from the mountains and forests of central and eastern Luzon: the people of Song accidentally discovered an open-pit iron mine while reclaiming wasteland.

Upon learning the news, Wen Tianxiang immediately dispatched officials skilled in mining and metallurgy to investigate. The officials ventured deep into the mining area, using their tools to break off pieces of ore and repeatedly verify them. They ultimately returned with a conclusion that thrilled the entire Eastern Song court: the iron ore was of exceptional quality, with an iron content as high as 60%. It should be noted that even the few rich mines in Cizhou and Xingzhou in the Central Plains only had an iron content of around 50%.

What's even more exciting is that this iron mine is an open-pit mine, with the vein exposed on the surface. It doesn't require a lot of manpower to dig deep wells; it can be mined with just simple tools. The vein also contains precious metals such as copper, which can be minted into iron and coins, thus alleviating the urgent shortage of copper coins in the Eastern Song Dynasty.

Wen Tianxiang stood before the map of Luzon, his finger landing heavily on the location of the iron mine, his eyes gleaming with fervent desire. He immediately ordered the construction of a city near the mine, naming it Iron City, and also ordered the construction of a port connecting the Luzon River to the open sea. From Luzon, a three-day voyage along the coastline would bring one to this emerging mining hub.

Soon, the furnaces of Iron City were ablaze with fire. The iron refined from the ore here was pure and contained very few impurities. The weapons forged from it had hard, sharp blades and were extremely resilient. Even after dozens of battles, they still gleamed coldly, far surpassing the performance of the old weapons brought from the Central Plains. The agricultural tools made from them were sturdy and durable hoes, and sharp and nimble sickles, greatly reducing the burden on farmers.

Wen Tianxiang stroked a newly forged longsword, gazing at the rushing Luzon River outside the window, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh: "Alas, if only we had obtained this iron ore ten years earlier, how could our Great Song have fallen to such a state of being confined overseas?"

But he was not one to dwell on past sorrows. After a sigh, he turned his attention to the construction of the Iron City. The discovery of iron ore filled the last gap in the Eastern Song Dynasty's resources. With high-quality iron ore, the Eastern Song could forge better armor and weapons, enhancing the army's combat effectiveness; it could create more advanced agricultural tools, improving farming efficiency; and it could mint copper coins, stabilizing market order. Since the birth of iron smelting technology, the development of civilization had been inextricably linked to iron. Now, the Eastern Song had finally grasped this key to unlocking civilization.

Just as the Eastern Song Dynasty was thriving due to the discovery of iron ore, Zhang Shijie's scouts brought back earth-shattering news from the Central Plains.

In the sixth year of the Jingyan era, Emperor Kublai Khan of the Yuan Dynasty mobilized an army of 140,000 men, dividing them into two routes to conquer Japan. The eastern army departed from Goryeo (Korea), crossing the Korean Strait; the southern army set sail from Zhejiang, heading straight for the Japanese archipelago. After the two armies met off the coast of Japan, they were preparing to land and attack Dazaifu when they encountered a rare and massive typhoon on August 1st. The fierce winds and towering waves swept away the Yuan army's warships, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and the loss of most of the fleet. Seeing that all was lost, the generals hastily led their troops in a retreat. The remaining Yuan soldiers who survived were either killed by the Japanese army or taken prisoner.

When the news reached Luzon, the three core ministers of the Eastern Song Dynasty—Right Chancellor Wen Tianxiang, Privy Councilor Zhang Shijie, and Left Chancellor Lu Xiufu—gathered in the council hall of the Luzon Palace.

These three men were the pillars of the Eastern Song Dynasty. Wen Tianxiang oversaw all political affairs and controlled the military; Zhang Shijie commanded the navy and guarded the sea frontiers; and Lu Xiufu led the army and expanded the territory. Their roles were clearly defined, and their teamwork was seamless, supporting the Eastern Song Dynasty.

Inside the council hall, Zhang Shijie broke the silence first. Dressed in military attire, his sword gleaming at his waist, he spoke with barely concealed excitement: "Right Chancellor! The Yuan navy is now severely weakened and will be unable to launch further expeditions in the short term. This is a golden opportunity for our Great Song to expand outwards! Luzon Island alone is so prosperous; the South Seas are vast and boundless. Could there be even more unclaimed lands beyond?"

He had trained the navy for years, commanding thousands of warships and a fleet of 100,000 men, but fearing exposure, he could only patrol the waters near Luzon, which had long been incredibly frustrating.

Lu Xiufu, equally eager, rubbed his hands together and said, "Privy Councilor Zhang is absolutely right! The natives of Huai Song Prefecture are too weak. If I were to clear out the tribes and reclaim land there, I would simply be repeating what was done in Luzon Prefecture. It would be incredibly tedious!"

By this time, the Eastern Song Dynasty, after several years of recuperation, was far stronger than before. Its navy boasted a thousand warships and 100,000 soldiers; its army had 50,000 elite troops, each brave and skilled in battle. With a strong army, ample supplies, and abundant provisions, it was the perfect time to expand into Southeast Asia.

After some discussion, the three of them finalized a far-reaching decree – the "Opening of the Seas Decree".

The decree stipulated: partial lifting of the maritime ban, allowing official fleets to sail out to explore, draw nautical charts, and find new fertile lands; issuance of trade permits, allowing merchants holding permits to sail and trade in the area south of Luzon and north of the imperial exploration area; any unauthorized sailors encountered by the Eastern Song navy would be sunk on the spot to prevent spies from leaking information about the Eastern Song to the Yuan dynasty; merchants were prohibited from forming armed forces or building settlements without authorization, and any such settlements discovered would be immediately destroyed.

The issuance of the "Opening of the Seas Order" caused an instant uproar among the wealthy merchants of Luzon. Most of these merchants were relatives of Eastern Song officials who had fled south with vast amounts of gold and silver, possessing sufficient capital to assemble a fleet. Precisely because of this special circumstance, the Eastern Song court did not prohibit officials' relatives from engaging in commerce—after all, ordinary people simply could not afford the enormous sums required to purchase seagoing vessels.

Initially, the merchants were cautious, only daring to buy or rent small boats to trade in the waters near Luzon. They transported ironware and grain produced in Luzon to Waisong, and then bought native women from Waisong to transport back to Luzon for sale.

The Song people of Luzon had previously been assigned a native woman as a wife due to the government's policies. But for these men who had escaped the war, there was no question of having too many women. For a time, native women in Luzon were in high demand and short supply, and merchants profited handsomely.

Some astute businessmen even sensed a greater opportunity. They settled the indigenous women they bought together, hired teachers to teach them to speak Mandarin, learn etiquette, and practice needlework. After just half a year of training, these women shed their barbaric airs and became gentle and charming, and their value increased several times over.

The wealthy who had initially been observing the situation were now envious upon seeing this and began investing heavily in large ships, forming fleets, and venturing into the trade of Southeast Asia. This commercial boom greatly stimulated the shipbuilding industry in Luzon, with docks springing up everywhere and craftsmen working day and night, yet demand still exceeded supply.

At this moment, in the Luzon Palace, twelve-year-old Zhao Shi sat listlessly on the dragon throne. He watched the merchants outside the palace making a fortune, their faces beaming with joy, living a life even more comfortable than his own as emperor, and a sense of dissatisfaction arose in his heart.

"This is outrageous!" Zhao Shi muttered, casually taking a stack of silver notes from the imperial treasury and handing them to his personal eunuch, Xiao Li. "Xiao Li, go and buy a few large ships and go to Huai Song Prefecture to do business. Pick some decent-looking local girls, raise them well, and then send them to the palace to serve me."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li looked troubled and stammered, "Your Majesty, you are still young, your health is of utmost importance..."

"Insolence!" Zhao Shi roared in fury, slamming his hand on the dragon throne. "Why don't you feel me and see what's wrong with my body?"

Little Li was so frightened that he dared not answer. He quickly kowtowed and took his leave, then went to procure a fleet of ships.

Meanwhile, a fleet of Eastern Song ships was sailing south across the South China Sea.

Zhang Shijie personally led a fleet of 10,000 men from the port of Huai Song Prefecture (present-day Manila), embarking on a voyage of exploration in the South Seas. After sailing for several days, the fleet discovered a large, undulating island on the horizon—the very island that would later become known as Mindoro.

Zhang Shijie ordered the fleet to dock in a sheltered bay and set up a temporary camp. He also dispatched scouts to venture deep into the island to search for the local indigenous tribes. Before long, the scouts returned to the camp with several dark-skinned natives dressed in animal skins.

Zhang Shijie summoned the army's interpreter and had him communicate with the natives. The interpreter, relying on gestures and simple syllables, managed to barely understand the other party's identity.

"Prime Minister Zhang," the translator said, bowing slightly, "these natives say they belong to the Kingdom of Mayi."

"Ma Yi Kingdom? What kind of country is that?" Zhang Shijie was a pure martial artist, and he spoke frankly without any intention of beating around the bush.

Upon hearing this, the accompanying scholar quickly stepped forward to explain: "Your Excellency, this country should be the Moyi Kingdom recorded in the 'Records of Foreign Peoples.' It is said that this country once sent a fleet to Guangzhou to trade, but later, for some unknown reason, they severed all ties."

He paused, then suggested, "Sir, you might as well send an envoy to Mayi Kingdom to investigate its true situation."

Zhang Shijie nodded and waved his hand, "That makes sense. Then you can go!"

"Huh? Me?" The scholar was stunned, his face full of astonishment.

"If it wasn't you, then who else could it be?" Zhang Shijie raised an eyebrow. "Among our group, you're the only one who knows anything about the Kingdom of Mayi. Don't worry, I've read history books. Since ancient times, when two countries are on friendly terms, envoys are never killed. If the Kingdom of Mayi dares to kill my Great Song envoy, I will definitely lead a large army to raze their country to the ground and avenge you!"

The scholar was on the verge of tears, but dared not disobey the military order. He had no choice but to steel himself and, with the translator and a hundred elite soldiers, embark on the road to the capital of Mayi.

When Datu (King) of Mayi Kingdom heard that foreigners had arrived in a giant ship ten zhang long, he was terrified. He had never seen such a huge ship before and thought it was a god descending to earth. He immediately ordered the city gates to be opened wide and invited the Song envoys into the palace, where they were treated to the finest wine and food.

When Datu learned of the Song envoy's purpose—to have Mayi Kingdom submit to the Eastern Song and become a vassal state—he agreed almost without hesitation. For him, gaining access to a powerful nation like the Eastern Song was a dream come true.

Upon learning the news, Zhang Shijie abandoned his plan to attack Mayi Kingdom. He built a military outpost on Mindoro Island and exchanged ironware and porcelain from the Eastern Song Dynasty for precious specialties such as beeswax and pearls from Mayi Kingdom.

The fleet then continued south. Along the way, they encountered dozens of islands of varying sizes, including some comparable in size to the Mayi Kingdom, but most were in a state of tribal fragmentation and had not yet formed a unified nation. The Eastern Song navy built settlements on these islands, exchanged goods with the local inhabitants, and planted the Eastern Song flag on many lands in Southeast Asia.

Finally, the fleet stopped before a large island, roughly the same size as Luzon—this was later known as Mindanao in the Philippines. Looking at the island's lush tropical rainforest, Zhang Shijie named it Liusong Island, meaning "preserving the flame of the Song Dynasty."

Luzon Island is inhabited only by indigenous tribes, not by a nation. The island is abundant in tropical fruits such as durian, bananas, and coconuts. Zhang Shijie had some picked and tasted them himself. He was full of praise for the unique aroma of the durian, the soft and sweet flavor of the bananas, and the refreshing coolness of the coconuts. He immediately ordered the fruits to be loaded onto a ship, ready to be transported back to Luzon City for sale.

In principle, the military is not allowed to engage in commerce. However, Zhang Shijie's current position was not simply that of a naval commander, but rather the leader of an official exploration team of the Eastern Song Dynasty. No one objected to him skirting the rules in this way.

This expedition to Southeast Asia, lasting two months, greatly expanded the territory of the Eastern Song Dynasty. At this time, the Eastern Song Dynasty's territory encompassed the entire Philippine archipelago that would later become known as the Philippines—the Kingdom of Mayi submitted to the Eastern Song and became a vassal state; settlements established on other islands by the Eastern Song Dynasty naturally also belonged to the Eastern Song territory.

When the news reached Luzon, the officials of the Eastern Song Dynasty were overjoyed. They never imagined that such vast unclaimed lands existed in Southeast Asia. If they could develop these lands, how could they not accumulate strength to launch a counterattack against the Central Plains?

Wen Tianxiang seized the opportunity and promulgated the Immigration Law, initiating a massive migration to Southeast Asia. He ordered the relocation of the people of Luzon Island to settle on the newly discovered islands by Zhang Shijie.

But by this time, Luzon was already a prosperous and fertile land. The people of Luzon had enjoyed a few years of peace and stability and were unwilling to leave their homeland to cultivate those wild islands.

Left with no other choice, Wen Tianxiang had to add a very tempting clause to the Immigration Law: any land reclaimed by immigrants would not only enjoy a three-year tax exemption under the Land Reclamation Law, but land reclaimed outside Luzon Island would also enjoy an additional two years of tax exemption; more importantly, the next generation of immigrants' children would receive bonus points when taking the imperial examinations.

The fertile land of Luzon Island had long made the people of Song immune to tax exemption policies. However, the bonus points for the imperial examinations were a real killer. It's important to understand that the Eastern Song Dynasty had promoted education for many years, and the people were well aware of the importance of studying. Bonus points for the imperial examinations meant that their descendants would have a greater chance of entering officialdom and bringing honor to their ancestors.

This clause instantly ignited the emigration enthusiasm of the Song people. In no time, the ports of Luzon were bustling with people, countless families boarding ships bound for the Southeast Asian islands. Some Song people even shouted, "As long as it adds points for our descendants, we're willing to emigrate, even if it means tax increases, let alone tax exemptions!"

The massive influx of immigrants created enormous market demand. Merchants seized the opportunity to transport food, ironware, clothing, and other necessities to the immigrants; they also brought back tropical fruits such as durian and coconut, as well as local specialties like pearls and beeswax, to sell in Luzon.

The flourishing trade spurred the development of various industries, including shipbuilding, iron smelting, and agriculture. The Eastern Song Dynasty once again ushered in a golden age of rapid development.

On the waves of Southeast Asia, warships of the Eastern Song Dynasty shuttled back and forth, and the dragon flags of the Great Song Dynasty fluttered in the sea breeze, waving over this land full of hope.