Although the Ming Dynasty mission was highly valued by Gregory and the Thirteenth Pope, they were still guests from afar. In the case of Gregory XIII's rapid decline in health, the whirlpool in Rome did not have much impact on the mission's itinerary. In addition to many forces bribing low-level members of the mission and inquiring about Carlo Medici's movements, the mission's various investigations and document transcriptions are still proceeding step by step.
But the calm was soon broken. On the day before Christmas in 1584, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Castana, who baptized Xu Guangqi, made an urgent appointment with him. Xu Guangqi didn't know what was going on, and he didn't dare to neglect, so he hurriedly took Wang Jiaping to St. Peter's Cathedral to ask for an audience.
Cardinal Giovanni's goatee and beard are thick, his nose is not as tall as that of Europeans, his chin is protruding, his lips are a bit protruding, and his appearance is a bit unworthy of the red robe on his body. But as the most likely candidate for the Pope, no one dares to be disrespectful to him.
After Xu Guangqi saluted according to Catholic rules, Giovanni stood up and returned the salute to the Chinese emperor on behalf of the head of the mission - this is what the cardinal and Xu Guangqi did these days. Then Giovanni stopped talking and asked directly:
"Sir, I heard that you have a cure for malaria."
Xu Guangqi was horrified when he heard this, knowing that some members of the mission must have been bribed - this was inevitable. Although the Ming Dynasty mission has gone through countless confidentiality trainings, it is difficult for members to have malaria and have been cured of such life information without being leaked. Some ale and gold coins can make the warriors say these things, which have not been specifically emphasized. confidential information.
He touched his nose and smiled and said, "Yes. A thousand years ago, Ge Hong's "Emergency Prescriptions" written by Ge Hong in the Jin Dynasty of our country contained methods to treat malaria. Later, after medical schools improved the prescriptions, China is no longer helpless against malaria. of."
Giovanni was so anxious that he didn't care who Xu Guangqi was talking about Ge Hong. He immediately asked: "Does the mission still have this prescription?"
Xu Guangqi frowned when he heard this and said: "Your Excellency, before the mission, His Majesty the Emperor prohibited the mission from providing treatment to anyone. Of course, the 'Smallpox Prevention and Treatment Law' was excepted - because no medicine is necessarily effective. If the mission treats others at will, It’s easy to get into trouble.”
Giovanni smiled bitterly and said: "Your Excellency, of course I understand His Majesty the Emperor's caution. But what you don't know is that our Pope has malaria and has been suffering from malaria these days. Today he started to have a fever again."
Xu Guangqi got this news from the Grand Duke of Tuscany when he was in Florence, but he still pretended to be surprised and said: "Oh? Really? I didn't know about it. I thought His Majesty's poor health was just temporary - —”
When Giovanni heard this, his eyes suddenly turned cold and he looked at him up and down. Xu Guangqi knew that this clumsy lie could not deceive him, so he had to smile bitterly and continue to explain: "Your Excellency, I bear the emperor's mandate. There are some things that I can only pretend not to know."
This is not a lie by Xu Guangqi, because in order to take advantage of the time travellers, Zhu Yijun indeed prohibited Xu Guangqi from using doctors to treat others in Europa - especially the kings and nobles, lest the butterfly effect would be too great. But in fact, this butterfly effect is inevitable - the Grand Duke of Tuscany is still alive and Ferdinando is a prisoner as the best proof.
Giovanni snorted and said coldly: "Your Excellency, the person suffering from malaria is His Majesty the Pope. He is the spokesperson of God on earth - now I have to doubt the piety of your faith." Xu Guangqi was pushed by him. Stay, dumbfounded for a moment.
Wang Jiaping, who had been listening to the interpreter's explanation in a low voice, saw that Xu Guangqi was not able to answer, so he smiled and said: "Your Excellency, Bishop, can what you said to Count Xu Guangqi be regarded as a threat from the Catholic Church to the Chinese mission?"
When Giovanni heard this, his face became uncertain. He calmed down and said: "This is my personal opinion about Your Excellency Earl, because he is a believer."
Although there was a smile on Wang Jiaping's face, Giovanni could tell that his smile was a typical "smiling smile but not a smile". Then he snorted and said, "However, it is our emperor's decree not to allow treatment of others, and even His Excellency the Earl's personal behavior represents the mission."
Hearing this, Giovanni closed his eyes and thought for a while. It soon became clear that Xu Guangqi could not issue an order to treat the Pope if Wang Jiaping objected. He turned his attention to Wang Jiaping, nodded to him and said, "Your Excellency, what price will the Holy See pay in exchange for His Majesty's treatment?"
Wang Jiaping was about to say, "The emperor's order cannot be violated," but when he thought that he and the mission were both on his home court, if he didn't try his best to treat the other "emperor" even if he had the means, he might have to move his head, so these words came out of his mouth. He turned around and said nothing.
It was not appropriate for Xu Guangqi to speak at this time, otherwise his decision to join the Catholic Church would be meaningless - the believers refused to provide a way to cure the pope, and the Holy See was always trying to explain this.
The two heads of the mission looked at each other in confusion at Giovanni's request. Wang Jiaping saw that Xu Guangqi had no other solution, so he gritted his teeth and said: "Your Excellency, we come here with good intentions, but -"
"Your Excellency, what price will the Holy See pay in exchange for your Majesty's treatment?" Before he could finish speaking, Giovanni interrupted him and asked the same question again.
The meaning is obvious, the ball goes to the mission. Whether to follow Zhu Yijun's imperial edict or provide treatment requires an immediate decision.
Seeing that Wang Jiaping could not use diplomatic language to delay, he stopped looking at Xu Guangqi and made his own decision: "Your Excellency, the mission can send doctors. The responsibility for violating the emperor's order will be borne by me -" Xu Guangqi interrupted him without noticing: "For Nangong, I should be responsible for this matter."
Wang Jiaping secretly cursed Xu Guangqi and his teammates, so he had no choice but to turn a deaf ear and continue: "However, my emperor's eloquent words are made into a constitution. The will of the Lord of heaven, earth, humans and gods cannot be easily violated——"
Giovanni: "Tell me your conditions." Only then did Xu Guangqi understand, and he felt secretly ashamed. He felt from the bottom of his heart that the emperor was right to send Wang Jiaping as his deputy this time, otherwise this blackmail would never be possible.
Wang Jiaping swallowed and said to Giovanni: "First of all, although we have the honor of treating His Majesty the Pope, we do not bear any responsibility for bad results."
When Giovanni heard this, the muscles on his face twitched continuously, and he had a new understanding of Wang Jiaping's character. But the Pope's life was now in the hands of the mission, and they had legitimate concerns, so they had no choice but to agree: "Okay."
Wang Jiaping continued: "If this God - that God bless us and we cure the Pope. Then the Holy See has the obligation to express due gratitude to His Majesty the Emperor. This, um, how to express gratitude needs further discussion."
Giovanni smiled bitterly and said: "You might as well talk about your thoughts first. After all, His Majesty the Pope's body cannot wait."
When Wang Jiaping heard this, he straightened his back and said loudly: "I just want to express my personal thoughts. As for this first, after His Majesty the Pope recovers from health, he should express his gratitude to His Majesty the Emperor."
"What does 'pay my respects' mean?"
After taking a look at the wonderful expression on Xu Guangqi's face, Wang Jiaping said heartily: "This is a letter of thanks that acknowledges the higher status of His Majesty the Emperor."
"This is impossible!" After Giovanni lost his anger, Di Baotian's lips trembled a little. "Under God, among living humans, His Majesty the Pope is the highest. This is an undoubted truth!"
Seeing that he had poked the cardinal's lung tube, Wang Jiaping hurriedly returned the money and said: "At least we must have equal exchanges. This is my bottom line."
Giovanni's face was flushed, and it was difficult to control his emotions for a while. But then he thought that after the failure of Ferdinando's coup, the balance of victory had tilted towards him, and the Pope's opinion was even more decisive, so he took a deep breath and gradually calmed down: "I will report this to Your Majesty—— I think we can get a satisfactory result for you.”
"Okay, we have reached an agreement. Secondly, I personally think that we need the right of passage for the Siris Business Group in Catholic countries - of course, we will pay taxes, but the tax amount will not exceed a certain limit."
The muscles on Giovanni's face were twisted, and he wanted to slap Wang Jiaping's smiling face. He thought for a long time and said hoarsely: "His Majesty the Pope may not have that much power." Seeing the contempt on Wang Jiaping's face, he blushed and continued: "Of course, if he issues an edict, you can follow it. Negotiate with the king."
Wang Jiaping continued: "Very good, we have reached the second point. Again, I think we need..."
When Monsignor Giovanni, dripping with sweat, left St. Peter's Basilica and rushed to the Vatican Church, he was followed by Xu Guangqi and the doctors of the mission. The doctor held two small handfuls of Artemisia annua and a large bag of herbal medicine in his hands. He smiled at Xu Guangqi and said, "Why did Wang Shangshu just show off when he returned? He also has malaria?"
Xu Guangqi felt the urge to laugh wildly, but said calmly: "He is a little excited. Well, it is safe to join the cabinet after returning to China."
