"Shopkeeper Wen knows about this person?" Huang Shunlong didn't seem surprised, "He is considered a well-known figure in the local area."
"Why don't you know?" When Wen Desi thought of the humiliation of being captured, he almost wanted to do something to her. However, when this thought was exposed, it greatly affected his image. "This woman has a close relationship with us." He said vaguely.
To say that they are closely related can mean that they cooperate with each other, or that they have enmity, which is a neutral expression.
"Haha, there's no need to hide it, Shopkeeper Wen. This woman acts independently and is ruthless. I think she has some beef with you."
Wen Desi didn't say anything, which was regarded as acquiescence.
Huang Shunlong said that the only thing known here is that Li Siya is of Portuguese-Chinese descent, and no one knows who her parents are and where they are. But she lives in a Portuguese residential area in Macau, and the house is spacious and luxurious.
Even though he was doing business, he was able to appear openly at a gathering of local Portuguese dignitaries. It was obvious that his parents were from a high background.
"This woman is very difficult to mess with," Huang Shunlong lowered his voice. "She regards Macau as her nest. She behaves quite restrained locally, but once she goes to sea, she acts extremely ruthlessly. She is also full of tricks. If you have any trouble with her,
, please be more careful in your daily behavior.”
Wen Desi responded vaguely, and found out a lot of specific information about Li Siya: her ketch, the name of the ship is Lotus. It has not been in the port recently, and she probably went to sea again. Even her
The address was found out - Wen Desi once had the idea of sending Bei Wei for a special operation, but Huang Shunlong went on to say that he was not sure whether Li Siya really lived in that house - although Huang Shunlong married a Portuguese
Wife, but this woman’s low background does not add much leverage to his interactions with the Portuguese upper class. The only advantage is that he can do business with the Portuguese without any obstacles. He knows very little about the activities of the local Portuguese upper class.
few.
Huang Shunlong followed Chinese custom and wanted to stay with them for dinner, but Wen Desi had no intention of staying, and Zhang Xin was even more anxious to find a place that sold rhubarb liqueur. The two parties agreed on the seal and secret code for the future meeting and then left.
After going out, I walked around and returned to the meeting place under the cross in Cross Street Square. I found that Bai Duolu had come back. He had a smile unique to religious believers and was holding a leather-bound Bible in his hand.
Desi wondered if he had been brainwashed by the Jesuits in the past hour or so. While he was looking at it, Bai Duolu came up to him happily.
"Mr. Wen, we have good news."
"The local Jesuit president wants to see you."
The term Jesuit immediately appeared in Wen Desi's mind as a gloomy figure dressed in black sitting in a marble black room. What was the president of the Jesuit doing when he saw him? Did he want to declare the gospel of the Lord to him?
?Wen Desi’s religious policy issue when he wants to travel across the world has never been discussed. He doesn’t like all kinds of religions in this time and space very much. It’s better to establish some kind of “holy religion”. It would be better for him to be an archangel himself.
Good - it’s just that there are too many people traveling through time this time, so it’s probably not possible. This group of modern people are extremely incompetent, and the threshold for political struggle is extremely refined.
"First find a place to tell us about your meeting with the priest," Wen Desi said.
In the hall of a small but exquisite church in the Portuguese community in the center of the city, the scorching sunshine from South China shines through the small pieces of glass inlaid with lead bars on the windows and shines on the marble floor, leaving shadows on the marble floor.
There was a man in a monk's robe sitting next to a large desk, his head lowered, as if he was thinking. The four corners of the table were gold-plated, and it was piled with books and documents. There was also a delicately crafted ebony sculpture prominently placed on it.
Crucifixion of Jesus.
Behind him is a large fireplace with exquisite carvings. Looking at the patterns on it and the unique patterns of the marble, maybe the stone and the craftsmen came from distant Italy. Of course, on the coldest days, it will not be lower than 20 degrees Celsius.
South China, this thing has purely decorative meaning, symbolizing the power of the Jesuit branch president stationed in Macau. This branch president controls all Catholic missionary affairs in China and East Asia, and his status in the church does not even need to obey the bishop of Macau.
authority.
This lonely figure is Gelanzani, President of the Society of Jesus in Macau.
At this time, Gelanzani was alone, and his body was very weak - he had contracted malaria many years ago while serving as a missionary in Pattani. Although he survived after being treated with tobacco, the sequelae still occur to this day. But a powerful force
But the fire of his spirit was burning brightly in this weak body - perhaps knowing that his life was running out, he felt more and more urgent about missionary matters.
"These idiots!" he said to himself, "Whether they are Franciscans or Augustinians, they are all idiots. They think that faith is the rock of everything. Martyrdom is glory. Could it be that in 1596 in Japan,
Will this farce happen again in China?"
On his desk, there was a letter from the Jesuits in Manila. The question of whether the ancestor worship of the Chinese is idolatry has caused a lot of controversy in the church. And this controversy has a tendency to spread to the upper echelons of the Holy See. Alas.
, although the Jesuits have great power in the Holy See, the power is always proportional to the enemies, not to mention the kings and nobles, who all try to use the Jesuits as their own tools instead of God's.
"Let's discuss, let's discuss, it's best if this matter never ends." Gelanzani knew very well that unless he followed the advice of Jesuit missionaries already in Beijing: that the Chinese sacrifice ancestors is just a commemorative activity,
Otherwise, China's missionary activities, which are currently making little progress, will be even more difficult - he has been in Macau for several years and knows well what ancestor worship means to the Chinese.
Except for Matteo Ricci, who had a certain degree of success, nine out of ten missionaries were expelled back by the Chinese local officials, and some were simply missing. Gelanzani knew most of them.
has embarked on the path of martyrdom.
The missionary activities in China were far less smooth than those in Japan. Although through Matteo Ricci's efforts, he won a group of followers from Chinese officials and intellectuals, he also successfully entered the Chinese capital and participated in the astronomical revision and ordnance manufacturing affairs of the imperial court.
, but the number of believers has always been stagnant. He knows very well that ordinary Chinese people, officials and intellectuals are always wary of foreigners with very different appearances and customs.
He sighed, as if he heard footsteps outside the door:
"What's up?"
A door hidden behind the curtain opened quietly. A man in black clothes walked in gently:
"Sir, Sir Lando is here."
"Well, invite him in."
After a while, an officer walked in from the door.
This man was between thirty-five and forty years old, tall and strong, with sharp eyes and a short black beard. He dressed himself in a fashionable Spanish style, with a tight waistcoat and white lace.
The heavy sword on the wide belt slanted across his chest hit his leather boots from time to time. This outfit and the gray and cold eyes showed that he was a professional soldier who licked blood with his sword head.
He took off his hat and saluted the president according to French etiquette. Then he stood respectfully, but with a solemn expression, exactly as a person of status should look.
The president looked at the person in front of him. His eyes were deep and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.
This dangerous guy, the president thought, can I really entrust this task to him? This adventurer who came out of nowhere called himself Weiss Lando, although he said he was from the Parma region of Italy.
He is a son of a noble family, but his Italian is very poor. As a compatriot, Gelanzani feels ashamed. People find that he will speak English from time to time. If it were not for his appearance and firm belief in
, the president really suspected that he was a heretical Englishman.
There were such adventurers everywhere in the Far East at that time. They had real or fake life experiences and backgrounds. They were trying to get their own share of the prosperity of this great voyage. The president thought: Well, anyway, this is
This kind of person has no foundation. If something unexpected happens, he doesn't need to explain to anyone. He looked at the officer carefully for a while, was silent for a moment, and said:
"Are you Mr. Weiss Lando?"
"I am, my lord." Lando said.
"It has been more than three months since you followed Father Comange's ship to Macau. Are you still getting used to life in Macau?"
"It's a very habit." Lando said calmly, "It's just that my wallet is very weak..."
The president smiled: "No one thinks that the money bag is full." He picked up a volume of documents:
"You took part in the operation in Aragones—"
"Yes, Mr. President."
"The report you wrote to Father Comange is very detailed. It is obvious that Aragones' enemies were defeated without your intervention."
"Yes, President, those Chinese have very strong firepower and strong will to resist."
"Are they Australians? They call themselves Australians."
Lando shrugged: "They are absolutely Chinese, although they are not from the Ming Dynasty."
"Is Aragones' ship still under repair?"
"He recruits sailors in the tavern every day. I think it will be difficult for him to find enough people. Even if he is willing to recruit Chinese sailors."
"They will send him people from Manila." the president whispered. Although Portugal and Spain are under the rule of a king at this time, the relationship between the two parties cannot be described as harmonious. The royal flag has not been raised in Macau so far.
The Governor of Manila and the nobles there always planned to bring Macao under their rule.
As an Italian, Gelanzani instinctively felt disgusted with the Spaniards.
"You are a brave man." the president said, "your loyalty to the church is obvious to all -" he remembered something, "I heard that you fought against the pagans in Montenegro?"
"Yes, as a volunteer." Lando replied proudly, "I can live a peaceful life at home, but I still went to that mountainous place."
"Very good," Gelanzani continued, "You dare to show off your talents. The time has come to show off your skills!"
The cunning Italian immediately put on a "loyal" look: "I am willing to serve you!"