Chapter 210: The Agreement
Wen Desi likewise had three conditions:
First, all missionary affairs in Lingao must be presided over by the Lingao Church under the Australian Church. The Jesuits were welcome to come as "brethren" to provide support, but they could not establish independent operations. All ecclesiastical matters must be handled only after consultation and agreement with the Lingao Church.
Second, the Church must accept supervision by the Religious Affairs Officer dispatched by the Executive Committee.
Third, freedom of religious belief: believers possess the freedom to believe, the freedom not to believe, and the freedom to change their beliefs.
Aside from a slight objection to the third point, Lu Ruohua agreed to everything. However, he insisted with iron determination that the transmigrator regime grant the Jesuits exclusive rights to missionary work in Lingao and refuse entry to all other Catholic orders. On this point, his stance was absolutely unyielding.
Wen Desi hadn't anticipated that the Jesuits would harbor such fierce hostility toward other orders within the same denomination, so he asked Lu Ruohua to explain his reasoning. Lu Ruohua concealed nothing and recounted the causes and consequences of the great persecution of Catholics in Japan in 1596.
The first expulsion and persecution of Catholics by the Japanese shogunate in 1596 had many causes, but one major factor was the reckless competition among multiple Catholic orders. In their zeal to seize control of the Japanese Church, they had undertaken "purification of the faith" without any regard for consequences. The Jesuits keenly felt that many orders knew far too little about Eastern nations, acting out of sheer fanaticism and a fundamentalist sense of superiority. This had produced chaotic results and generated intense resentment from the shogunate and the daimyos, causing the complete collapse of Japanese missionary work. Therefore, the Jesuits were determined never to repeat this mistake and to keep missionary rights firmly in their own hands.
But different Popes favored different orders, and this preference became entangled with power struggles within the Roman Curia and between the Curia and the churches of major Catholic nations. France, for instance, had long aspired to be the protector of the Chinese Catholic Church. Though the Jesuits claimed to be trusted by successive Popes, they couldn't completely control the situation. Thus, they hoped to rely on local secular powers to suppress their competitors.
"I see. Father, you're quite candid," Wen Desi nodded approvingly.
"Pointless disputes have caused too much damage." Though a devout Catholic, Lu Ruohua was thoroughly disgusted by the fanaticism of certain factions.
Wen Desi proceeded to propose many more detailed restrictions. Having witnessed the English infiltrating here, Lu Ruohua agreed to everything he reasonably could—they had to establish a foothold before those English heretics did. Besides, restricted preaching was infinitely preferable to clandestine preaching.
Ultimately, the two sides reached an agreement on Church affairs:
The transmigrator regime agreed to allow Jesuit priests to conduct missionary activities in Lingao and guaranteed their safety within transmigrator-controlled territory.
The transmigrators guaranteed they would not permit other Catholic orders to enter their territory to preach. Lu Ruohua had originally wanted to push further and demand a ban on all "heresy"—that is, Protestant missionary activity—but Wen Desi refused on grounds of their nation's principle of religious freedom.
"Of course, this doesn't mean we welcome them to preach—only that their opportunities are equal to yours."
Lu Ruohua could only make the sign of the cross. Lord, these Australians' thinking was truly extraordinary.
Both parties confirmed: Jesuit missionary activities must be conducted with the support of the Lingao Church; private preaching was forbidden. The missionary delegation would accept the transmigrator regime's Religious Affairs Officer as their protector, serving as the coordinator and liaison between both parties, and submit to his supervision.
The missionary delegation had the right to purchase or construct buildings in designated areas within transmigrator-controlled territory for religious, charitable, and residential purposes, but approval from the Religious Affairs Officer was required. Baptism of believers must take place in designated churches. All records of baptized believers must be registered and archived with the Church. Private baptisms were forbidden.
Missionary delegation personnel could move freely within transmigrator-controlled territory, but were not permitted to enter government offices, military facilities, or schools without explicit authorization. Personnel could hire servants through the Lingao Church but not privately. Without permission, the delegation could not bring additional personnel into Lingao from outside. Religious books and documents needed for missionary work required individual declaration and approval; unauthorized imports were forbidden.
The missionary delegation was not permitted to establish monasteries or accept monks or nuns. Such institutions should be operated by the Lingao Church. Any addition of clergy by the Jesuits required approval from the Lingao Church and the Religious Affairs Officer.
In return, the Jesuits would advocate at the Holy See for the Lingao Church's legitimacy, seeking recognition of its full ecclesiastical authority. The Jesuits guaranteed they would facilitate the transmigrators' commercial activities in Macau and recruit European technical and labor personnel on their behalf. They also agreed to utilize their missionary network to facilitate the transmigrators' trading activities throughout Southeast Asia.
Both sides departed delighted. For Lu Ruohua, this represented the most significant breakthrough achieved in China to date. Though the Australians were not an official Chinese regime, they were the first regional power to explicitly recognize Jesuit missionary rights. Under their protection, missionary work could proceed openly.
For the transmigrator regime, this system guaranteed their control over ecclesiastical authority while fully leveraging the Catholic Church's considerable power. As for further reformation and utilization of the Church and its doctrine, a specialized team was already conducting related research. Wen Desi himself headed the theory leadership group.
Though theoretically this agreement still required ratification by the Transmigrator Executive Committee and the Jesuit Superior in Macau, everyone understood this was merely a formality. Wen Desi beamed and had a bottle of "Tang Dynasty Princess" brought out. Both sides raised their glasses in celebration.
"What excellent wine, with the fragrance of rhubarb," Lu Ruohua praised effusively.
"How does it compare to the sweet wine of the Chartreuse monastery?" Catholic monasteries were historically famous for their winemaking.
"They're quite different," Lu Ruohua shook his head. "The Carthusian brothers use brandy, while 'Tang Dynasty Princess' uses grain spirits. Each has its own distinctive flavor."
These clergy certainly knew their drink. Wen Desi, who had privately complained about this bitter-sweet wine, heard the priest's appreciation and gave him another bottle.
"Do you know how to make wine?" Wen Desi wondered if this monk might help develop some brewing techniques.
"I do not," Lu Ruohua raised his hands helplessly. "I only know how to be a doctor."
A doctor—that could prove useful. Though seventeenth-century Western medicine wasn't much better than witchcraft. Did he use things like lizard oil as medicine? He would have Shi Niaoren investigate what use could be made of him.
Wen Desi had someone escort the missionary back to the quarantine camp. Bai Duoluo was kept behind in the office to receive private instructions.
The door opened, and a couple walked in—the "English" the priest had observed earlier. Naturally, they weren't English at all, but Xue Ziliang and Ding Ding's wife, Panpan. Though Xue Ziliang's English was excellent and he possessed the appropriate demeanor, his face was still unmistakably Asian, which was why he had been given a wig and mask.
"Wasn't our performance wonderful?" Xue Ziliang preened like a peacock, showing off the snowy lace ruffles at his cuffs—men wore lace in this era too.
"At least the French missionary saw you," Wen Desi said. "The negotiations went very smoothly. I think your appearance was an important factor."
"Glad our effort wasn't wasted."
"Can I keep this dress?" Panpan was captivated by the silk gown she was wearing, striking poses before the mirror in the conference room.
"That won't work—it's on the Planning Committee's books. If you want to buy it, you'll have to ask the Planning Committee." These clothes had been purchased in Macau for potential reconnaissance operations at European colonies.
"Oh, is that so." The tall Western woman pouted with disappointment. "Ding Ding said the new timeline would have everything, which is why I came with him. Now I can't even buy new clothes. I never used to wear last year's fashions."
But Xue Ziliang interjected, "Director Wen, does the Executive Committee have plans for winemaking?"
"Yes, the Guangzhou station is already working on it. Leizhou will start soon too. Do you have ideas?"
"I'm quite the expert at winemaking." Xue Ziliang immediately began extolling his specialty: he was skilled at handcrafting beer, whiskey, gin, vodka, and other spirits. His main hobby was DIY brewing. "These are grain wines—no grapes needed. Actually, without grapes, you can still make excellent fruit wine brandy from other fruits. Hainan should have abundant fruit resources. I've noticed there's quite a lot of elderberry growing around here."
"Oh?" Wen Desi thought this could prove useful. Setting up a distillery was very tempting—and cigarettes too; how many times had people brought that up? And just now, Panpan's dissatisfaction with clothing made sense as well. Their current wardrobe was practically spartan, with everyone wearing durable, easily washed universal-brand training uniforms day in and day out. The fanciest things available were just windbreakers and such...
Wasn't this precisely the "contradiction between backward productive forces and the people's ever-growing material and cultural needs"? Wen Desi recalled his high school political education classes. Now that the transmigrators' situation had stabilized somewhat, if they didn't provide some material and cultural consumption soon, morale would become a serious concern.
"Good—let's study this issue!" Wen Desi jotted the idea in his notebook. Looking at Panpan's dress, he called the Planning Committee to ask if they could sell it to her.
"Right, right, I know it's needed for intelligence work. We can buy another dress. Besides, only three women can fit this kind of dress anyway. Just have her appear in the next performance."
So the dress was sold to Panpan for two thousand points. In Wen Desi's view, this was an absolute bargain. This was a genuine silk dress, and the embroidery and handmade lace alone would have cost at least ten to twenty thousand RMB in the original timeline. But Ding Ding didn't see it that way—when he was called in to pay, his brows knitted together in visible pain.
"If you want clothes, go to the Women's Cooperative! At least we're shareholders there and get twelve percent off," Ding Ding grumbled.
"They only have Chinese-style clothes. I want to wear this kind—look how beautiful it is." She twirled, and the eyes of several nearby men lit up. Even Ding Ding's gaze wavered momentarily.
"Don't make a habit of this." He hurried off with Panpan before the tall Western woman could cause any more damage to their finances.
Having sent off these two temporary actors, Bai Duoluo sat with a gloomy expression.
"Little Bai, you'll have heavy responsibilities from now on."
"Yes, the Executive Committee has placed its trust in me." Bai Duoluo had no desire whatsoever to do this job, but having already refused the position of Bishop of Lingao, if he refused again, he would probably never advance within the transmigrator collective.
After discussing Church construction matters with Bai Duoluo, he left. Before long, He Ying appeared in the conference room.
"Alright, He Ying, you understand your mission. I won't say more about the French missionary—you understand. Bai Duoluo's stance is a bit soft, so you'll need to help guide him along. Keep a close eye on his movements."
"Rest assured, Director Wen. I'll maintain close watch over them."
"Don't be too aggressive—guide and utilize them with skill. Whether Catholic or Protestant, if handled well, they can serve our purposes and greatly benefit our rule."
"Understood."
"Also, is he still learning Chinese from you?"
"Yes, quite enthusiastically. He also hopes someone will teach him the local dialect or Cantonese."
"Talk to Xiong Buyou about that—he speaks both. And—" Wen Desi paused to think, "Go to Wu De's place and find a few reliable locals. Prepare to have him develop them as converts."
"Alright, I'll arrange it immediately."
The next day, Lu Ruohua took the regular trading ship from the Naval Forces Department back to Macau to consult with the Jesuits. He also carried the transmigrators' request to recruit craftsmen: wheelwrights, canvas makers, shipbuilders, and sailmakers. These were all urgently needed technical workers—though the Industrial Department personnel understood the most advanced mechanical manufacturing, they knew nothing about making these old-fashioned things.
Meanwhile, preparations for the militia joint defense conference were also underway. The propaganda offensive led by Du Wen reached its peak after the Lantern Festival. Four-fifths of all villages in Lingao had given clear assurances they would send representatives to the conference.
According to preliminary statistics, approximately four hundred delegates were expected, representing about two hundred natural villages and thirteen market towns. The delegates were mainly village headmen, clan elders, and local gentry.
To prepare for this conference, the Lingao Construction Corporation expanded a carriage inn at East Gate Market to accommodate the delegates. Several dozen women were selected from the Commune to cook and clean for conferees.
The largest project was outside East Gate Market at Baireng City, where the Lingao Construction Corporation had enclosed a vast expanse of open land to construct a massive stadium. The stadium would feature a four-hundred-meter track—Ma Qianzhu couldn't determine exactly how large the stadium should be, so he specified the standard four-hundred-meter track as the requirement. In reality, neither the transmigrators nor the native people of Lingao would need such an enormous athletic facility for the next five years. The stadium's true purpose was to prepare for Ma Qianzhu's beloved mass movements. To hold mass rallies and various ceremonies, they would need a sufficiently grand and impressive venue.
(End of Chapter)