Extra chapter 2, "The Great Chaos at the End of the Ming Dynasty" dungeon "The Great Demon Kingdom" Chapter [The Marriage of the Great Sage] (Part 2)
In the afternoon of that day, although the Queen's wedding had not yet begun, in order to create an atmosphere of "national celebration", firecrackers were set off in the streets and alleys of Haizhou City. The citizens, who were dirty and in tattered clothes, looked blankly at the wealthy servants of the "Great Holy Kingdom" setting off firecrackers and holding banners everywhere with their numb eyes. They couldn't help but be a little more interested in the running tables where they could eat and drink for free in the evening. Looking forward
Amidst the sound of firecrackers from thousands of houses, a group of guys with short hair, wearing pullovers and uniforms, with yellow faces and skinny muscles, who looked like they would collapse in the wind, walked out of the big iron gate of Haizhou Labor Camp tremblingly, and then looked at the labor camp The streets and countryside outside the camp made me shed tears.
"...This damn Haizhou Demonic Kingdom! The poor monk finally made it out alive! I really shouldn't have listened to the deception of those scholars back then. What kind of demons are there to succumb to or eliminate? Pity my three senior brothers. , they all died miserably in this ghost place!”
A bald man with a Jiangnan accent looked at the scars and tanned skin all over his body and couldn't help crying and lamented.
"...Little friend Zhizhang, everyone is going to die, so don't be too sad. No matter what, we got out of the fire pit alive."
A middle-aged Taoist priest next to him who was so thin that he lost his shape comforted Monk Zhizhang, "...After you return to Yangzhou Chanzhi Temple, you can take good care of your health and cultivate your character. Don't come out and pretend to be a knight again. Haizhou These days in the Great Demon Kingdom are just like a nightmare!”
"...Hmph, you two southerners are so unambitious! After the Sa family returned to the mountain, they called all their brothers, brought along the handymen, and contacted the righteous people from all over the world to bulldoze this man-eating demon cave! Also let these demon sects Demons and overseas thieves can learn the power of Shaolin martial arts!”
Another middle-aged monk who claimed to be from the Songshan Shaolin Temple and was proficient in the Golden Bell Cover and the Eighteen Bronze Human Formation said this with arrogance, but his legs and feet that were still trembling slightly showed that this Shaolin monk was also the same. The color is sharp and the heart is soft...
——The above-mentioned released prisoners through labor camps were all eminent monks, Taoist priests and knights who were deceived by the various lewd and evil legends of Haizhou's "Great Demon Kingdom" and came to kill the demons. These guys who have read too many "Australian martial arts novels" yearn for the heroic demeanor of "holding a sword while riding on horseback and wielding ghost rain, bones as white as mountains and birds flying in fear. The world is like the tide and people are like water, only a few people in the rivers and lakes return", regardless of themselves Jin Liang, with a few superficial kung fu and juggling skills, actually dared to imitate others and went to Haizhou to "slay demons and demons". I thought that the Great Demon Kingdom of Haizhou really hid some martial arts secrets, miraculous medicines, gold and silver treasures, and so on. Perhaps there were also passionate witches and witches who would wake up and be willing to come over to help these righteous knights with their bodies... As a result, As soon as he arrived on the ground in Haizhou, he was severely beaten with a stick because he uttered arrogant words to the Wenxiang Cult members, and was immediately taken to a labor camp.
It is conceivable that the former Wenxiang cult members who ruled Haizhou naturally did not have the legal system and human rights spirit of modern society. They directly used them as free coolies. They wore iron shackles all day long and were driven by leather whips to sift sand and smash stones. Weaving stones, weaving baskets... It was really three hundred and sixty-five days a year, eating less than chickens, working more than cows, sleeping later than dogs, and being beaten and starved by guards from time to time. After suffering like this for more than ten years, even the toughest men couldn't stand the torture, and one after another they died and were fed to the dogs in mass graves. Fortunately, the "Monkey King" Queen Xu Xiner has remarried and the whole country is amnesty. The last few trembling dead remnants in front of them don't have to continue sifting through the sand until they die, but can walk out of the prison door without hesitation.
"...Shaolin Temple? Hey, how many years have you been in prison like you, you bald donkey? You don't even know about Li Zicheng burning down the Shaolin Temple?"
After hearing the shameless words of the Shaolin monk, a dark-skinned young man next to him who had also just been released from prison couldn't help but sneered, as if he had seen some joke - this guy had just been imprisoned for fighting the day before yesterday. As a result, the sand had only been sifted for two days, and today he was released in time for the amnesty. Naturally, he was much better informed about the news from the outside world than these Taoist priests and monks who had been in prison for many years.
"...Burn the Shaolin Temple?!" A group of monks and lay warriors had been sifting sand in the Haizhou labor camp for so many years. Naturally, they were very ignorant of the news in the world, so they immediately asked: "...When did this happen? Why was Emperor Li Zicheng of Dashun so mad? ”
"...That was an old thing ten years ago! As for the reason, when Li Zicheng sent his troops to attack Luoyang, the Shaolin monks made a mistake and had to help defend the city? Now, after the fall of Luoyang, the Shaolin Temple He immediately suffered retribution and was burned to pieces by Li Zicheng's troops. The young monks were either killed or tied up with ropes and sold to our Haizhou in exchange for military pay. At that time, I watched them with my own eyes, all bald, and having slave marks burned on their faces with a soldering iron one by one on the dock. Being taken aboard the Dutch Red Maoist slave ship..."
The Haizhou boy said with a sarcastic look, "...So, Master, your brothers and sisters have probably been sold to Java!"
Suddenly hearing the bad news, the Shaolin monk who had just been released from prison immediately looked up to the sky and cried, then collapsed to the ground with tears streaming down his face. The Yangzhou monk next to him quickly helped him up and comforted him, saying, "...Brother, please express your condolences. If you have nowhere to go, you might as well come with me to Chanzhi Temple!"
Unexpectedly, the Haizhou boy sneered again, "...Yangzhou Chanzhi Temple? Hehe, you two bald heads are really brothers in trouble!"
"...Amitabha, why did this little benefactor say this? Could it be that something happened to the Chanzhi Temple where the poor monk lives?"
The monk from Chanzhi Temple in Yangzhou couldn't help being shocked when he heard this, "...please ask the little donor to inform me!"
"...What other accident could it be? Of course it was a military disaster!" The Haizhou boy scratched his hair and replied, "...Eight years ago, Li Zicheng led his army to conquer the Qing Dynasty and fought against the Qing Emperor Dorgon in Xuzhou. , as a result, the Qing army was defeated miserably, and they fled south to Yangzhou. After that, there was internal strife and mutiny, and the city of Yangzhou was burned down. It lasted seven days and seven nights! Although Li Zicheng was assassinated and the Dashun Dynasty collapsed, the Qing army did not have the courage to return to Jiangbei. Instead, they destroyed Yangzhou City and moved all the people to Yangzhou Chanzhi Temple. It was burned down and must have been reduced to ruins by the Qing army now!”
"...Amitabha! My Buddha!!!" The monk, who was born in Chanzhi Temple in Yangzhou, suddenly had his eyes blackened and fell to the ground with tears streaming down his face.
"...Ahem! If you two have nowhere to go, how about you go back to Mount Tai with Pindao?"
The middle-aged Taoist priest who was so thin that he was out of shape suddenly couldn't bear it when he saw this, and said to the two inmates, "...Although the Jade Emperor Temple, who is a poor Taoist, may not agree to take in the two of them, there are also many Buddhist temples in Mount Tai. Available for two people to place orders..."
But before the Taoist priest finished speaking, he was interrupted by the Haizhou boy, "...returning to Mount Tai? This... Taoist priest, are you kidding me?"
The Taoist priest's heart suddenly tightened when he heard this, "...this...could it be that something happened to the Jade Emperor Temple in Mount Tai in the past few years?"
"...Oh, it's not just your Jade Emperor Temple that has changed! It's basically the entire Mount Tai that is completely destroyed!" The Haizhou boy sighed and explained to the Taoist priest, "...About five or six years ago, From the northwest side of Shaanxi and Gansu A group of returning bandits, with tens of thousands of people in tow, somehow broke into Shandong and swept through all the counties in western Shandong, killing heads and leaving rivers of blood. They were truly invincible. This gang The Hui people attacked Mount Tai again the year before last... Hey, if they just wanted to grab money, food, territory, or play some kind of Taishan Fengchan, then it wouldn't matter. Who knows that they have big fists? Help Hui Hui but she wants it all To spread their teachings, they cut down mountains and destroyed temples to purge other gods, so they killed thousands of monks and Taoists on Mount Tai, and all Buddhist temples and Taoist temples were transformed into real temples with crescent moon flags..."< br>
"...Then, what happened next? Are these demons still entrenched on Mount Tai?" the Taoist priest asked in a trembling voice.
"...That's not true. The Huihui gang only struggled in Taishan for more than half a year, and then they were defeated by the Australian soldiers last spring. They had to escape from Shandong and fled to the north again. I heard that they seemed to have invaded Beijing. city, They also carried out a lot of killings there and built a skull tower in Tongzhou. However, the Taishan area that was recaptured by the Australian soldiers was also completely ruined. The farmland was completely deserted and the houses were destroyed. ”
The Haizhou boy curled his lips and replied, "...So even though the Australian soldiers captured Mount Tai, they did not stay for long. They just moved the local people to Laizhou, Jiaozhou and our Haizhou for resettlement, and then withdrew the troops. Now it is said that there are even soldiers on Mount Tai. There are not many people alive. Did you want to be savages in the past?”
After hearing this, the Taoist priest from the Jade Emperor Temple in Mount Tai and another monk from Mount Tai were stunned as if thunder struck their heads. The few remaining eminent monks, Taoist priests and knights hurriedly swarmed around the well-informed Haizhou boy, asking about the current situation in their respective hometowns. However, the results were all terrible: either the mountains were cut down and the temples were destroyed, the cities were massacred and the tribes were exterminated, or at the very least they were forced to relocate...
——In the past ten years or so, the land of China has staged almost all the tragedies and tragedies imaginable by mankind... soldiers and horsemen fought and looted, kingdoms and dynasties rose and fell, famous mountains and ancient temples turned into wilderness, and famous cities and cities fell into ruins. It was in ruins, suffered from droughts and floods one after another, and the fertile land of the Central Plains was full of thorns.
As for Huguang, Jiangnan, Sichuan, Shu, Guanzhong, etc., there are also raging wars and starvation everywhere. Coupled with the successive plagues, floods and droughts, there is simply no way for the people to survive. In many places, even the news is cut off. God knows if all the people died and turned into a ghost country.
In comparison, Haizhou, a big demonic country that takes shelter from the "Australian bandits", can actually be called a peaceful place.
"...Oh my God! I thought this Haizhou was a devil's cave, but I didn't expect that my hometown has already become a purgatory. This is where people will go!"
A Taoist priest fell to the ground and lamented bitterly, "...That's all. Now I just want to go back to my hometown, and I don't have any money. I'd better find a place to settle down first and earn a bowl of food." ! I didn't even have breakfast today!" He rubbed his growling belly and looked at the Haizhou boy with expectant eyes, "... This little brother, can you ask me if there is anyone hiring around here? ”
"...Here in Haizhou...there are several places recruiting workers, but you will definitely not be able to find a guarantor. I'm afraid no shop or workshop dares to accept them! You don't need a guarantor to carry big bags at the dock, but look at what you are doing Is there any foreman on the ground in Haizhou who is willing to fall down on the street if the wind blows? ”
The young man scratched his scalp in embarrassment, but then he turned his eyes and came up with a seemingly feasible idea, "...but after all, we all suffer together, and we can't watch you starve to death outside. See Is there a Western temple with a cross on the roof? As long as you go there and have a few simple meals, it's still fine. That Western church in Haizhou City looks more impressive? Come on, our Monkey King is getting married there today! With your dirty and slovenly appearance, you actually want to go there and eat on the flowing water mat? Be careful not to be beaten with a stick because you are unsightly! ...You must be content! Don’t live in despair anymore!”
A few hours later, a group of former Buddhist and Taoist priests who had been in prison for many years sat in a Catholic monastery on a hilltop by the sea outside the city. They received a suit of starched gray monastic robes, and He washed his dirty head and face hastily, and then wolfed down the dark-colored Black hard buns, sour bean soup or porridge - these are the free meals they received from the monastery steward after they voluntarily converted to God. At the same time, they pricked up their ears and listened to "Australian Catholicism" A trainee pastor from the Association preached with a slight Cantonese accent:
“…God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life, whether the world believes it or not…It must be noted that only devout believers can be saved, not by physical death. Everything will end. At the final judgment, those without names in the book of life will be thrown into the eternal fire... Believe in Jesus and wait for His coming... Don't miss the kingdom of heaven..."
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——In this way, the career change path of these monks and Taoists seemed to have a smooth start... After all, are all the magicians in the world the same family?
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At the same time, in the lounge of Haizhou Cathedral, the scheduled host of the Queen's wedding had just sailed halfway around the world. The newly appointed Jesuit priest from Europe, Fanta Geralds, the newly appointed Archbishop of Japan, came to the East from Europe. , are meeting with a highly respected guest.
——For the Roman Catholic Church, the first half of the seventeenth century was a period of frustration with repeated setbacks.
From the time Martin Luther officially proclaimed the birth of Protestantism to the present time, the civil and military battles and bloody battles between European Catholics and Protestants have lasted for more than a hundred years. During this period, there have been countless repeated battles and mutual disputes. The tug of war almost bled the poor Europeans.
The Protestant religion relied on the emerging industrial and commercial bourgeoisie in the Age of Discovery and took advantage of the general trend of the religious reform era. It also took advantage of the decay and divisions in the Catholic camp to advance rapidly and continuously conquer the faith positions of each country. The Holy See, which refused to go to the grave, united with traditional European feudal forces, especially the economic and military power of Spain, to launch the Counter-Reformation Movement to stabilize the remaining core territory, recruit fanatical believers to serve as direct troops, and use the Inquisition to step up suppression. Protestants and other heretics strengthened their ideological and cultural control, and launched rounds of military and political counterattacks against the Protestant forces in an attempt to restore everything in the European Christian world to the old outlook.
However, as the dust of the Thirty Years' War and the English Civil War settled, the Catholic Church's last effort to completely eradicate Protestant heresy failed. The Pope also had to bow his head and face reality, admitting that the world of Christian faith in Central and Western Europe was completely divided and unable to do so. Restore the unity and grandeur of the past.
At the same time, the Ottoman Turkish Empire in the Near East had ended decades of internal chaos and resumed its strategic offensive. It launched an overwhelming offensive against the Catholic camp on the battlefields of Central Europe and the Mediterranean. Austria and Venice, who were blocking the front line, were already in dire straits and were retreating steadily. Once this thin buffer zone is torn apart, Italy and the Papal States will be exposed to the scimitar of the pagans.
Such a situation of being surrounded by enemies from both sides, besieged internally and externally, and with its sphere of influence shrinking and losing year after year, filled the Holy See, which was attacked by Protestants and Greens during this period, with a sense of worry, as if they had seen the collapse of the Roman Empire in the past. , happened again before our eyes.
In such an increasingly unfavorable predicament, the style of the Holy See has become more and more conservative in thinking and fierce in means. The tolerant and rational humanistic breeze of the Renaissance has long since disappeared, and has been replaced by cruelty. The Inquisition and the mad witch hunts.
In order to implement the above-mentioned cruel strategy, the Jesuits came into being and became an important magic weapon and weapon for the Catholic Church to fight against the Reformation.
——Unlike the Benedictines and Franciscans, which were old religious orders born in the Middle Ages, the Jesuits were founded in 1534 after the birth of Protestantism. They have a tight internal organization and strict relationships between superiors and subordinates. They lack the traditional spirit of benevolence and use all means to combat heresy. Often involved in various conspiracies and bloody purges, it is actually an intelligence agency directly under the Pope, equivalent to the KGB, Mossad, CIA or Assassin in the Papal State.
It is said that many assassinations, massacres and terrorist incidents in modern European history are inseparable from the Jesuits. In France, they planned to assassinate Henry IV, the founder of the Bourbon dynasty, but they were exposed and failed. In England, they planned the Gunpowder Plot, which nearly killed King James I. Within the Catholic camp, they also competed for interests with the Spanish and Portuguese royal families. This was because the princes of Spain and Austria tried to use secular force to control the Holy See, while the Holy See tried to get rid of control and counter-control the princes. In addition, the reason why the Thirty Years' War was so brutal and brutal, almost destroying all of Germany, was because the Jesuits were trying to take the opportunity to cleanse Germany, the stronghold of Lutheran Protestants, and constantly sabotage peace talks.
Therefore, the Jesuits were notorious in various European countries at the time, similar to the Ku Klux Klan or the Nazis. They were even banned by kings of various countries as terrorists. Even the Kingdom of Spain, the most pious within the Catholic camp, could not tolerate the Jesuits in the end. The rampant behavior - the Jesuit missionaries at that time actually openly incited secession in Spain's American colonies, and once established a South American Jesuit country similar to the Teutonic Knights!
In the end, under the backlash of the kings of Europe, the Holy See had to disband the Society of Jesus in the 18th century. Although the Society of Jesus was resurrected again in the 19th century, it was already the era of the Industrial Revolution. Both the Society of Jesus and Rome The Holy See no longer has the crazy energy it once had.
However, outside the European Christian world, the Jesuits of the Age of Discovery had a rather positive image and were widely praised by the world.
——In the sixteenth century, given that the power of Protestantism had become increasingly powerful in northern Europe, it might have been difficult to contain it. In order to make up for the lost faith position, the Roman Church made a strategic decision, which was to take advantage of the opportunity of the great geographical discovery to send people to Asia, Africa and the Americas to vigorously spread the Catholic faith, increase the number of Catholic believers around the world, and finally rely on The huge advantage in size once again overwhelmed the Protestant heresy in Europe.
A strategy like this has already had a successful precedent in the history of Christianity - in the late Roman Empire, although Christianity had become the state religion of the empire, the Roman Church was only one of the five patriarchal churches in the empire, along with Constantinople. , Antioch, Jerusalem and the Patriarch of Alexandria were on equal footing. However, during the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Roman Church relied on tireless missionary work to various Germanic barbarians, prompting them to convert to Catholicism one by one, thus greatly expanding the number of Catholic believers and the sphere of influence. In the end, the Roman Church stood out from the five former patriarchal seats and became the master of faith in the entire Western world, superior to all secular kings.
Therefore, in the face of the constant attacks of Protestant heretics, it became a natural choice for the Holy See to launch the above strategy again.
Therefore, as loyal followers of the Pope, the Jesuits resolutely sent missionaries all over the world. With their religious fanaticism, they did not hesitate to risk shipwrecks, plagues and wars, traveling across mountains and rivers to spread their faith in foreign lands thousands of miles away. They spread their faith in Africa. It preached to black people, to the Iroquois in North America, and its missionary history in East Asia is even more famous. For example, Matteo Ricci and Tang Ruowang in China, and Xavier in Japan were all members of the Jesuits.
However, although these Jesuit missionaries relied on religious fanaticism to support their missionary missions in distant places, if their missionary activities wanted to be successful in other civilized countries, it was obviously not enough to rely on their own fanaticism and piety, but also required local rule. support, or at least tacit approval.
Therefore, the Jesuit missionaries who came to East Asia at that time generally used Western advanced natural science, military technology and the art of painting and sculpture as stepping stones to try to attract the attention and preferences of the upper class in the East, thereby spreading their faith subtly and subtly. It has played an important role as a bridge between Eastern and Western cultural exchanges. Among them, some of the most successful Jesuit missionaries even became guests of Eastern kings.
However, in this dimension of the late Ming Dynasty, which was greatly changed by hundreds of thousands of modern Chinese travelers, faced with the crazy expansion, prosperous civilization, advanced technology, and powerful "Australians", the Jesuit missionaries who came to the Far East They are trapped in a dilemma and a state of confusion.
On the bright side, "Australians" don't have much resistance to Catholic teachings themselves. They even had their own Catholic churches and churches very early on, as well as a large number of Catholics - around the middle of the fourteenth century , a French member of the Knights Hospitaller named Levi, accidentally came to the land of Australia due to some wonderful encounters, and successfully spread the glory of God to this land, converting some Australians. Christianity, this is the origin of the Catholic Church in Australia. (It comes from the "History of the Rise and Fall of the Australian and Song Empire" compiled by time travellers. This book has been spread all over the world along with various "Australian goods" and has now become a bestseller in Europe.)
After the above news reached Rome, the entire Catholic Church rejoiced. The Pope officially issued a decree canonizing "Saint Levi" as the patron saint of Australians. A stone statue of Levi was also erected on the streets of Marseille Port, which is said to be the birthplace of "Saint Levi". There are also some scholars and priests who believe that the legendary and wealthy Eastern Christian country "The Kingdom of Elder John" may be the former "Australian Song Empire"...
As the Australians continued to conquer cities in the East, Confucianism, which had seriously hindered the Jesuit missionary work, suffered a devastating blow from the Australians who could be described as ruthless. The spread of Catholicism in the East also achieved explosive and gratifying results. At present, hundreds of churches have appeared in the coastal provinces of China occupied by Australians, with more than three million believers. In Australia itself, there are also gorgeous cathedrals and magnificent monasteries. In a considerable part of the Australian army, there are also military chaplains and nuns. In addition, due to the influence of the Australians, Japan, the "Samurai Island" that once strictly banned Christianity and even killed Christians, turned into a country that respected Catholicism as the state religion after a bloody and tragic civil war. As a result, the number of God’s “lambs” in the east rapidly increased hundreds of times in a short period of time.
In just a few decades, Catholicism has won nearly half of the total population of Catholic countries in Europe among its followers in the East!
But on the bad side, because the Australian Catholic Church is too independent, has its own seminary, trains clergy and confer saints on its own, it inevitably has many conflicts with the distant Holy See. Not to mention that "Australia" is, after all, a secular country that does not have a state religion but instead has a religious administration. Although it has no discriminatory policy against Christians, it is even less likely to suppress other religions for the sake of missionaries.
Therefore, questions surrounding whether Eastern Catholics should observe fast, whether to recognize polygamy, who has the right to appoint bishops in the East, and whether the church is allowed to levy tithes on parishioners (believers need to pay one-tenth to the church) income), whether church property has tax-free privileges, whether priests and nuns have the right to marry and have children , whether clergy can officiate weddings for "non-Christians" (travelers) in churches, whether they can set up religious inquisitions and carry out "witch hunts" on Australian territory... and a series of messy and trivial issues, the Jesuits There were many unpleasant quarrels and conflicts with the Australian Catholic Church. Since the Jesuits were relatively less down-to-earth and lacked the support of official and private believers, the above disputes basically ended in the failure of the Jesuits. Even if they brought out the papal bull from Rome, it would be of little use.
In addition, according to the observations of Jesuit missionaries, the piety of Catholics under Australian rule was generally questionable. There are very few Christians who can go to church every Sunday. Most so-called Christians just hang a cross around their necks, go to church three or four times a year, and donate some change depending on their mood. Even the clergy are unprofessional and always ignore some of the requirements and prohibitions of the Holy See.
If the Australian Catholic Church had acted like this in Europe, it would have been accused of heresy by the Holy See. But the problem is that this place is in East Asia, thousands of miles away from Europe. The other party is a superpower whose territory is wider than the entire Europe. The believers have no respect for the Holy See, whether it is the Holy See or Jesus. Yes, you can't be stubborn under this situation - it should be noted that Australian Catholics do not have no other options. The Puritans in England and the Lutheran Protestants in the Netherlands are also present in Australian territory now, although they are not as good as missionaries. Jesus would be keen. However, if the Catholic Church is too demanding on details and pushes the Australian Catholic Church into a hurry, the other party may also imitate the Anglican Church and turn to the Protestant camp. This will inevitably completely subvert the balance of power between the two camps... Then the Jesuits But I really couldn’t even cry.
In general, facing the current situation in East Asia, Jesuit missionaries feel like a very hungry traveler who was suddenly invited to a banquet by someone and fed a sumptuous meal. However, although the meal on the table was edible, He was full, but the cooking was very unpalatable to him. However, he was too embarrassed to ask the host to redo the table. Moreover, even if he did, the host might not be willing to listen. On the contrary, he might be kicked out and he would not be able to eat at all. ……
Regarding this extremely tangled and complicated situation, the Vatican discussed it several times. Finally, in order to prevent the loss of vested interests, it was decided to try to avoid offending the Australians and find a way to start a new one in the Far East and erect a model of true pure faith. It happened that the Catholic Maori family won the Japanese Civil War, turning Japan, the legendary Treasure Island, into the Kingdom of God. The Holy See took advantage of this situation and appointed senior Jesuit priest Fanta Geralds to the Far East to serve as the Archbishop of Japan. Trying to establish the leadership of the Holy See over the Christian faith in Japan.
Of course, although this approach is equivalent to trying to get away from the Australian Catholic Church, it does not mean that Fanta Geralds needs to alienate Australians. On the contrary, on the way to Japan from Europe, Archbishop Fanta Geralds has been learning Chinese and looking for opportunities to deal with and build friendships with powerful figures in the Australian Catholic Church and Australians, hoping to be able to contribute to missionary affairs in Japan. , gaining the understanding and recognition of this Eastern overlord.
When Archbishop Fanta Jailos arrived in Macau, he learned that the Queen of the "Great Holy Kingdom" of Haizhou was about to get married. The supreme ruler of Australia would also come to watch the ceremony. Moreover, the groom who married the Queen was an "Australian" Christian. When he was an apprentice, Fanta Geralds even took the initiative to postpone his trip to Japan to take up the job, and instead came to Haizhou to host the wedding in order to have an opportunity to interview the Australian supreme leader and try to gain favor with him.
At present, although Queen Xu Xin'er's wedding has not yet been held, Archbishop Fanta Geralds has successfully met with Mr. Qi Jianjun, the supreme leader of the Australians, to exchange views on some educational issues that may arise in Japan in the future, and to obtain a return. Consider it a kind endorsement.
But the problem is, according to the Japanese religious intelligence he collected in Macau, Taiwan, Hangzhou, Haizhou and other places, even if it can be recognized and acquiesced by the Australians, the resistance of the Japanese indigenous people alone is terrifying enough - as a A rapidly transforming Christian country, the current Catholic church organization in Japan has largely just incorporated the former monks, nuns, shrines and shrine maidens, and slightly changed the appearance of shrines and Buddhist temples. As for the Japanese characteristics such as monks marrying wives and having children, witches marrying and selling meat, etc., they are naturally inherited. There are no changes because the monks grew their hair and became priests, and the witches changed their clothes and became nuns - except for their Besides hanging a cross around his neck.
In fact, they regard monks and witches as a job to a large extent, but they believe in Christ Jesus while working.
If Archbishop Fanta Geralds insists on implementing European etiquette norms among Japanese churches and congregations in order to follow the instructions of the Holy See, it means that he must force at least thousands of Japanese priests and nuns to divorce, and also force them to divorce. Tens of thousands of Japanese children who could have been heirs to the church were to be turned into dishonorable illegitimate children. In addition, a large number of high-ranking Japanese Christian samurai and concubines of wealthy men must be demoted to mistresses... No matter which one of these, it is bound to cause public outrage and cause great trouble. And in the east so far away from Rome, the authority of the Vatican is really minimal. He was very worried that he would "die of a violent illness" in the afternoon just after issuing the order in the morning...
However, if Archbishop Fanta Geralds chose to continue to blindly accommodate the customs of the Japanese indigenous islanders in order to avoid the resentment and suspicion of the Japanese people, completely ignoring the "purity" of Catholicism, then he was ordered to come all the way this time Dongfang, what is it for?
Alas, it’s really a dilemma, I don’t know what to do!
However, just when Archbishop Fanta Geralos was filled with confusion about how to carry out his work in Japan, he met a famous senior Jesuit missionary in Haizhou who had just returned from Beijing. Tang Ruowang escaped with his parishioners.
Then, Archbishop Fender Jellos realized that his troubles were nothing compared to the hardships the other party had experienced!
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Tang Ruowang, a famous Jesuit missionary in the late Ming Dynasty, was born in Cologne, Germany. His original name was Johann Adam Schaer von Baier. Tang Ruowang was the Chinese name he took for the convenience of preaching in China. Since arriving in China in 1619, he has been concentrating on studying Chinese language and culture, studying Chinese classics, history and ethics, and looking for the fusion point between Eastern and Western cultures. At the same time, he worked hard to interact with celebrities in both the government and the public, and tried to achieve his goal of spreading his faith.
During the Tianqi years, Tang Ruowang arrived in Beijing and managed to win the interest of the Ming dynasty scholar-officials by presenting Europe's latest astronomical research results and mathematical knowledge. After that, Tang Ruowang first toured the northern provinces, built a small church in Xi'an, Shaanxi, and at the same time collected geographical and ethnic intelligence in northwest China. Next, he returned to Beijing and was recommended by Xu Guangqi, the Minister of Rites, and worked in the Qin Tianjian, translating almanacs, deducing astronomy, and making instruments. At the same time, Tang Ruowang took advantage of the opportunity to explain astronomical knowledge to the eunuchs to spread Catholicism in the palace and successfully baptized several eunuchs into Christianity.
According to the history of the original plane, relying on his long-sleeved communication skills and the connections accumulated over the years, as well as his always low-key and cautious style, Tang Ruowang and his fellow believers in Beijing were able to survive unscathed even when faced with the changes of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. He successfully survived the calamity and continued to serve as an official in the Qing court because of his knowledge and skills in astronomy and calendar. He was even appreciated and trusted by the regent Dorgon, Emperor Shunzhi and Emperor Kangxi. He was once appointed as the Qintian Supervisor, and was able to visit the palace frequently. He made many suggestions on the success and failure of the government and wrote more than 300 memorials. Even when Emperor Shunzhi was on his deathbed, he consulted Tang Ruowang for his opinion when discussing the establishment of an heir, which shows that his official career was prosperous and his favor was profound.
However, in this dimension of the late Ming Dynasty that had been transformed by a large number of time travellers, Tang Ruowang did not have such good luck. Although the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty still entered the pass, they only stayed in Beijing for a year before they fell apart. Not only did the Han soldiers and generals under his command rebelled one after another, but even his hometown in Liaodong was occupied by the time travellers. Huang Taiji had no choice but to defeat the future with his remaining troops. He went to the south of the Yangtze River and seized the territory of the Donglin Party to reestablish the country. Beijing was occupied by Zu Dashou, the leader of Guan Ning's generals, who claimed to be the "Emperor of the Jin Dynasty" and established a "Da Jin Empire" with Beijing as its capital and spanning northern Zhili and northern Shanxi.
However, Zu Dashou's "Great Jin Empire" did not last long. Just seven years after the founding of the country, Zu Dashou was killed in a mutiny, and his "Great Jin Empire" was also destroyed by the Guan Ning army killing each other. Destroyed during the civil war. In the next few years, Beijing, the imperial capital, changed its city flags one after another, and the country names of Dayan, Dayou, and Liao appeared one after another. The Mahayana Kingdom established by the Wenxiang Sect in the south also invaded Beijing for a time, but Soon they withdrew due to civil unrest. Even the Mongolian Tatars outside the Great Wall once found a bargain and stayed in Beijing for a few days...
In such a troubled and chaotic world, Tang Ruowang's astronomical, calendar and mathematical knowledge naturally became uninterested, and it became difficult to even maintain his own survival. But even then, Tang Ruowang did not follow the advice of the Australian Catholic Church and leave the increasingly deserted Beijing and retreat to Australian territories such as Jiaodong or Liaodong. Instead, he continued to stick to the small church left by Matteo Ricci and struggled to maintain it. In order to support the activities of small churches in Beijing, they even provide some shelter and assistance within their capabilities to Catholic believers in Beijing.
However, by last autumn, even such a bleak business could no longer persist in Beijing: a group of northwest anti-Japanese bandits calling themselves the "Jihadi Army" had wreaked havoc on the North China Plain in recent years. With a religious fanaticism, he defeated the various feuding princes in confusion. Although this bandit of the "Jihad Army" was eventually driven out of Shandong by the time-travelers who sent troops to beat them up because they were cutting down mountains and destroying temples. However, its main force was still intact. After a short rest, they turned around and ran away. Coming from Beijing.
So, after only a short battle, the crescent flag was quickly raised on top of the dilapidated city of Beijing. Naturally, Tang Ruowang's Catholic church became a thorn in their side, and within a few days it was massacred by the returning bandits. Relying on the cover of the parishioners who risked their lives, Tang Ruowang finally escaped from death under the machete of the "Jihadi Army" and successfully rushed out of Beijing. However, one eye was blinded by a bow and arrow during the escape, and his left hand was chopped off by the pursuers. Therefore, today’s priest Tang Ruowang wears a black eyepatch on his face and an iron hook on his left hand. At first glance, he might have thought he was a Pirates of the Caribbean... But as long as he thinks about his efforts and sacrifices for the missionary cause, Archbishop Fanta Geralds couldn't laugh anymore.
"...It's really unbelievable that we have already arrived in the east on the other side of the earth, and we still have to continue to fight with the Arabs for our faith! Just like the Crusaders in Palestine... You have really suffered over the years. This is simply The character of a saint!" After hearing Tang Ruowang describe the hardships of holding on to Beijing over the years, as well as the various dangers on the way to escape, Archbishop Fanta Geralos couldn't help but exclaimed sincerely.
"...All this is for the cause of God!" Tang Ruowang replied calmly, and at the same time made the sign of the cross on his chest with his only intact right hand, "...and these Eastern pagans should not be Arabs. As for the specifics, I can’t tell what ethnicity they are...”
"...These are all insignificant details, as long as you understand that they are the enemies of the Lord Christ, it is enough!"
Archbishop Fanta Geralds waved his hand and said, "...Now that the Catholic Church in Beijing no longer exists, I wonder what your plans are next? Do you want to go to Japan with me? There is a shortage of people like you around me now. Such a talented person who is familiar with Eastern society!”
"...Thank you for your kindness, but it's really not necessary! I have already talked with Marshal Huangshi before. He will attack Beijing next year at the latest and wipe out those thugs. I will naturally return with his army by then. Beijing, once again continue the missionary work of Matteo Ricci in China. As for the missionary work in Japan, haha, the experience applicable to China may not be applicable to Japan. People like me can only cause trouble in the past..."
"...You are so humble..." Archbishop Fanta Geralds smiled, but seeing that Tang Ruowang's attitude was very firm, he did not continue to force the invitation, "...Sigh...compared to the diocese you lead, Japan's Although the situation is much better, there are also a lot of troubles..."
While sighing, he listed various things that were not in compliance with the rules of the Japanese Catholic Church one by one, wanting to hear Tang Ruowang's opinion. After hearing this, Tang Ruowang pondered for a moment, shook his head and said to Archbishop Fanta Geralds, "...with all due respect, you are really impatient. It has only been a few years since Japan converted to our Lord, and the foundation of the church has not yet been solidified. In fact, You can’t ask for too much. What’s more, even the pope and cardinals in Rome have many well-known and powerful illegitimate children, so how can they ask Japanese church members to be like the saints?”
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"...But, the Vatican's instructions are..." Archbishop Fanta Jalous looked a little embarrassed.
"...Your Excellency, please don't forget that our mission in the East is to expand the Lord's sheep in the East, not to create disputes among the existing sheep. This will only cause all the sheep to flee! Such recklessness I have made this mistake several times in the past, but I cannot make it again now.”
Tang Ruowang said in a deep voice, "...our missionary work in the East has never walked on a strong rope, but on a hair. Any impetuous and impulsive approach will instantly ruin decades of hard work. Everything won! In the last century, the Holy See lost England forever because of a wrong decision (not allowing King Henry VIII to divorce). Will it happen again now? ”
"...I understand what you mean. Even if the progress is slow and nothing is achieved, it is better than destroying the hard work of previous generations."
Archbishop Fanta Geralds was silent for a moment, and finally nodded slowly and said, "...After I arrive in Japan, I will respect the opinions of local believers and try to act prudently. As for further matters, I can only wait until the church in Japan Let’s talk after the foundation is laid... Well, it seems that it’s almost time for the wedding, and I should get ready. I wonder if you would like to come with me? ""...Ah, of course it would be a great honor... ”