Even to Shi Weng, he explained the past. [No pop-up novel website] He knew Shi Weng's thoughts very well. The attack on Phoenix Villa, the silk burning factory, and the destruction of houses were all fake - Shi Weng even told Cao Guangjiu very clearly that the silk factory and the like could only be destroyed symbolically. Just don't burn it down. As for the mansion on the mountain, try not to destroy it either. On the contrary, Cihuitang, which everyone thought was unimportant, was the focus of the attack: Shi Weng's purpose was to cause maximum bloodshed - so he also planned to burn Cihuitang.
As long as many people die, no matter for whatever reason, the Jin gentry will immediately draw a clear line with him. No matter how powerful the backers behind him are, they will not stand up for him. Zhao Yingong will not be able to continue to gain a foothold in Hangzhou. Go down. This is what Shi Weng's master had in mind.
After the incident is completed, it is difficult to say whether Hao Yuan can continue to "serve" Shi Weng. Hao Yuan had a clear understanding of these wealthy gentry households.
When the Spaniards massacred people in Manila, his father was doing business as an agent for a gentry in Manila. At that time, there were rumors that the Spaniards were going to be unfavorable to the Chinese. When his father returned to China to settle accounts and pay the money, he informed the proprietor that he wanted to end Manila. business, but was sternly rejected by the other party, so he had no choice but to return to Manila. As a result, his whole family was killed in the Manila Massacre in 1603, and not even their bodies were found.
Hao Yuan was still an infant at the time. In the chaos, his native nanny took him to a Dominican church for refuge and escaped death. Later, he was adopted by the church until he reached adulthood.
Although he was raised by European missionaries, Hao Yuan was also baptized. Received many years of religious and theological education. But he did not believe in the doctrine as firmly as other orphans who were raised by the church. The Dominican priest, with the goal of one day returning to China to preach, invited a Chinese scholar. Let him learn his native language in addition to Spanish.
Because of the relationship between the native nanny, he knew his life experience. He had heard a lot about the brutality and tyranny of the Spanish in the Philippines, and for the first time he had great doubts about the justice of the church.
Since the King of Spain is a "Catholic King" recognized by the Pope and rules half the world, how can they show the qualities that a true Christian should have in their cruel and greedy behavior?
These Spaniards who came all the way from Castile not only had no consciousness of "saving the lost lambs". Instead, they take slavery, exploitation and plunder for granted. Are such people worthy of being “believers of the Lord”?
Hao Yuan, who has become a Dominican novice, has seeds of doubt growing uncontrollably behind his devout priestly life. He needs more knowledge to answer his doubts. The church's library could no longer meet his needs. He even risked being excommunicated and sent to the Spanish Inquisition. He sneaked into the church's private library and read eagerly those collected from captured British and Dutch ships and those who tried to sneak into the Spanish colonies to preach. "**" captured in the hands of "heretics".
"**" opened his horizons. It also destroyed his faith. Hao Yuan became more "devout" - this was an attempt to cover up his inner fear. No one expected it. This devout Chinese trainee priest has become the biggest heretic in Manila.
Finally, it came to a point where the government could not satisfy him - the collection of books in the colonial church was limited. Although he could easily access the residences of dignitaries and wealthy businessmen in Manila due to his status, these people all risked their lives with the intention of getting rich. Those who risk their lives and come here will naturally not bring a large collection of books across the ocean to come here. So he started looking for other sources of books.
There was already a "German-style" printing workshop in Manila, but this workshop mainly served the governor. Various regulations, announcements and legal documents were printed, and even some books were printed for the public such as Bibles and Navigation Guides. The books he needed could not be found.
With the help of the church and his status as a monk, he was able to travel to the living areas of Chinese and indigenous people at will. He began to go in and out of the stream in the name of preaching, quietly collecting books, and quietly taking them back to his quiet room to read. These books brought him back into contact with Chinese society and culture - he was full of curiosity and longing for this country of his parents he had never met before. In the words of missionaries and native nannies, China is an ideal country full of sunshine and gold.
However, the activities in the Chinese area of Jiannei soon disillusioned him. From the Chinese people living in Manila, he knew that the country of his parents called "Ming Dynasty" was not the "Utopia" he imagined - he had quietly read this movie confiscated from British businessmen in the church's private library. Book - Although the Chinese district in Jiannei was bombarded, burned and massacred in 1603, with 20,000 people killed and "the river turned red", it soon prospered again, and a steady stream of Chinese immigrants returned to this place that was very important to them. It is an unfriendly place, and the population in the stream is even greater than before the massacre.
Hao Yuan soon discovered that there were not many people who came here to make a fortune. Many people were forced to go abroad to make a living. I came to Manila to do menial and hard work, and my income was just a living.
"If you don't go to Nanyang, you won't be able to survive." This is a sentence he has always heard.
Although Hao Yuan has long known that rulers are never kind to ordinary people. But so many people left their homes and traveled across the ocean to endure discrimination and injustice under a regime that only knew how to exploit them, was full of hostility, and aimed cannons at the residential areas where they lived at any time, and barely managed to survive. When it comes to making a living, is this Ming Dynasty still the “golden country” a missionary calls it?
He learned many things about the Ming Dynasty from the newly arrived immigrants: the change of dynasties, the vicissitudes of party strife, frequent disasters, heavy taxation, ruthless officials...
“I can’t live any longer,” the people said.
"The government is becoming more and more chaotic every day," the businessmen said, "all the officials are evil-minded!"
Hao Yuan had always wanted to find out about his father. Finally one day, he met his father's old acquaintance in a shop in Jiannei. This old acquaintance told him everything about his life experience and his father.
"Your father was forced to go back to Manila to die just to make money for Mr. Zhao." The old man said with tears.
This incident greatly stimulated Hao Yuan - originally he only heard about "other people's affairs", but now he found that he was also a victim. His father died at the hands of the profit-seeking Jin gentry, which ignited the first flame of hatred for the Ming Dynasty.
Whether it is Manila, the sovereign country of Spain, or the motherland that I have never met before, it is not a "golden country". This world is full of man-eating countries where demons dance wildly.
How can an ordinary person, a "pure and poor person" live happily in this world?
The "Utopia" and "Christchurch" in the book are just illusions. Hao Yuan fell into deep despair. He found that no book could answer his questions and no one could ask him about this treasonous question.
Such confusion and embarrassment plagued him until he met his mentor a few years ago. This man was like a beacon in the fog, illuminating Hao Yuan's mind. All his questions were answered.
After several conversations, Hao Yuan joined him without hesitation and became his first apprentice. Learn those "forbidden knowledge" eagerly. The more he studied, the more he felt the greatness of his teacher. No, not only is he great, his mentor is also very mysterious. He knew almost everything and had a lot of knowledge that the world didn't know. With this knowledge, he quickly became a wealthy man in Manila, gained the trust of the governor, and mixed into the upper class society. However, Hao Yuan knew that his mentor was not the same person as them. Although he looks like a great aristocrat on the surface, he is actually as strong in self-restraint as an ascetic.
He followed his mentor throughout the Philippines. One day, his mentor called him and asked him to go to Ming Dynasty.
"The devil's minions have entered China. If we don't do anything, they will take this country into their hands sooner or later." The mentor was wearing a black robe like a monk, with a hood covering his face, "Go ahead. , do your best to stop their evil deeds."
"Yes, Master. Where should I go?"
"Go to Hangzhou." Although he has never been to China, he has learned enough about the local customs from books and conversations with Chinese people. "They already have people arriving."
"Yes, Master."
"You have to be careful and manage your own power secretly. Then look for opportunities to subdue them. At the same time, you have to protect yourself." The mentor's voice came from the deep hood, "You will be alone when you arrive in China. I can't do it anymore." How can I help you? You can use this address to write to me - of course, it will take a long time to get news from each other. So you have to make long-term plans for your activities in China."
"Yes, Master"
"I'm afraid this is the last time you see me. You have to accept a disciple for yourself in China and teach him the fire of light. You have to remember: you are just a ray of light, shining into the boundless darkness. No matter you or I will not burn for a long time, as long as someone can pass on our thoughts, this spark will eventually start a prairie fire."
Hao Yuan's application to preach in the Ming Dynasty was quickly approved by the church - he is now a Dominican priest. As a missionary to China, his bloodline and language have more advantages than European missionaries.
Hao Yuan came to Macau via a ship from the church system, and then he lived in Macau for a while, growing his hair into a bun. Finally, he put on the clothes of Ming people and quietly entered Guangdong, all the way to Hangzhou. (To be continued...)
