Chapter 171: The Agreement

Wen Desi also proposed 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 support as “brothers,” but they were not allowed to establish their own independent branch. All church affairs must be handled after consultation and agreement with the Lingao Church.

Second, the Church must accept the supervision of the Religious Affairs Officer dispatched by the Executive Committee.

Third, there is freedom of religious belief. Believers have the freedom to believe, the freedom not to believe, and the freedom to change their beliefs.

Lu Ruohua agreed to all of them, with only a slight objection to the third point. However, he insisted that the transmigrator regime must grant the Jesuits the leading role in missionary work in Lingao and refuse entry to other Catholic religious orders. His attitude was very firm.

Wen Desi had not expected the Jesuits to have such strong hostility towards other religious orders within the same denomination, so he asked Lu Ruohua for the reason. Lu Ruohua did not hide it and explained the cause and effect of the large-scale persecution of Catholics in Japan in 1596.

There were many internal and external reasons for the first expulsion of Catholicism and persecution of native Catholics by the Japanese Shogunate in 1596. However, a major cause of the expulsion was the reckless and “purist” actions of several different Catholic religious orders in Japan, who fought for the leadership of missionary work and control of the Japanese church. The Jesuits were deeply pained by the fact that many religious orders had little understanding of the East, and acted recklessly based on a fanatical and superior fundamentalist attitude, which caused great resentment from the Shogunate and the daimyos, leading to a sharp decline in missionary affairs in Japan. Therefore, the Jesuits were determined not to repeat the same mistake and to firmly hold the right to preach in their own hands.

However, the Pope’s personal preference for various religious orders was different, and it was also entangled with power struggles within the Curia, between the Roman Curia and the churches of major Catholic countries. France had always tried to act as the protector of the Catholic Church in China. Although the Jesuits claimed to be trusted by successive Popes, they could not completely control the situation. Therefore, they hoped to rely on the local secular regime to suppress these competitors.

“I see. Your Excellency, you are very frank,” Wen Desi expressed his appreciation.

“Needless discussions have caused too much damage,” although Lu Ruohua was a devout Catholic, he was also very disgusted with the fanaticism of some people.

Wen Desi also proposed many detailed restrictions. Because Lu Ruohua had seen the British infiltrating here, he agreed to everything he could—he had to establish a firm foothold before those British heretics; besides, missionary work with some restrictions was better than clandestine preaching.

In the end, the two sides reached an agreement on church affairs:

The transmigrator regime agreed to allow Jesuit monks to conduct missionary activities in Lingao and guaranteed their safety within the territory controlled by the transmigrator regime.

The transmigrators guaranteed not to allow other Catholic religious orders to enter their controlled areas for missionary work. Lu Ruohua had wanted to push for a ban on all “heretical”—that is, Protestant—missionary activities, but Wen Desi refused on the grounds of freedom of religious belief in their country.

“Of course, this does not mean that we welcome them to preach, but that their opportunities are equal to yours.”

Lu Ruohua could only make the sign of the cross. God, the ideas of these Australians are truly unique.

Both sides confirmed that the missionary activities of the Jesuits must be carried out with the support of the Lingao Church and that no private preaching was allowed.

The missionary group accepted the Religious Affairs Officer of the transmigrator regime as their protector and as the coordinator and liaison between the two sides, and accepted his supervision.

The missionary group had the right to purchase and build houses for religious, charitable, and residential purposes in designated areas within the territory controlled by the transmigrator regime, but this must be approved by the Religious Affairs Officer.

Baptisms must be conducted in designated churches. All information of the baptized believers must be registered and archived in the church. No private baptisms were allowed.

The personnel of the missionary group could move freely within the area controlled by the transmigrators, but they were not allowed to enter government offices, military facilities, or schools without permission.

The missionary group could hire servants through the Lingao Church, but not privately. The missionary group was not allowed to bring in other personnel from outside Lingao without permission.

Religious books and documents required for missionary work needed to be reported on a case-by-case basis and could not be brought in privately.

The missionary group was not allowed to establish monasteries or to accept monks and nuns. Such institutions should be run by the Lingao Church. The dispatch of any additional clergy by the Jesuits required the consent of the Lingao Church and the Religious Affairs Officer.

In return, the Jesuits would lobby the Holy See for the legitimacy of the Lingao Church and strive for its recognition of the Lingao Church’s authority in various church affairs.

The Jesuits guaranteed to provide all convenience and support for the commercial activities of the transmigrator regime in Macau and to hire various European technical and labor personnel on their behalf.

The Jesuits agreed to use their missionary network to facilitate the trade activities of the transmigrators in Southeast Asia.

Both sides were overjoyed. For Lu Ruohua, this was the biggest breakthrough in China. Although the Australians were not the official government of China, they were the first regional power to explicitly recognize their right to preach. Under their protection, missionary work could be carried out openly and honorably.

For the transmigrator regime, this system not only ensured the transmigrators’ control over ecclesiastical power but also made full use of the power of the Catholic Church.

As for the further transformation and utilization of the church and its doctrines, a group of specialized personnel was already conducting relevant research. Wen Desi was the head of the theoretical leadership group.

Although in theory this agreement still needed to be approved by the Transmigrator Executive Committee and the Jesuit Superior in Macau, everyone knew that this was just a formality. Wen Desi was all smiles and had someone bring the “Great Tang Princess” wine, a tribute from the Guangzhou station, to celebrate with a toast.

“This is really good wine, with the fragrance of rhubarb,” Lu Ruohua praised it endlessly.

“How does it compare to the sweet wine of the Chartreuse monastery?”—The Catholic religious orders were historically famous for their winemaking. [Note: This is a Carthusian monastery in France, whose monks brew a world-famous sweet liqueur].

“It’s different,” Lu Ruohua shook his head. “The Carthusian monks use brandy. The ‘Great Tang Princess’ uses grain alcohol. They each have their own flavor.”

These priests really know how to drink, Wen Desi had been grumbling about this bitter and sweet wine. Hearing that he liked it, he gave another bottle to the priest.

“Do you know how to make wine?” Wen Desi thought that this monk might be able to develop some winemaking techniques.

“No,” Lu Ruohua raised his hands helplessly. “I only know how to be a doctor.”

A doctor could be useful. However, Western medicine in the 17th century was not much different from witchcraft. Would he be making things like lizard oil as medicine? Let Shi Niaoren check him out and see what use he could be.

Wen Desi had someone send the missionary back to the quarantine camp. Bai Duolu remained in the office to receive instructions.

The door opened, and a man and a woman walked in. They were the “English people” the priest had seen earlier. Of course, these two were not English, but Xue Ziliang and Dingding’s wife, Panpan. Although Xue Ziliang’s English was good and his demeanor was appropriate, he still had an Asian face, so he was fitted with a wig and a mask.

“Did we act well?” Xue Ziliang preened like a peacock, stroking the snow-white lace cuffs of his sleeves—men wore lace in this era too.

“At least the French missionary saw you,” Wen Desi said. “The negotiation went very smoothly. I think your appearance was an important factor.”

“As long as our efforts weren’t in vain.”

“Can I keep this dress?” Panpan was fascinated by the silk dress she was wearing and was posing in front of the mirror in the conference room.

“I’m afraid not. It’s on the Planning Committee’s books. If you want to buy it, you have to ask the Planning Committee for permission.” These clothes were bought from Macau for use in case of reconnaissance of European colonies.

“Is that so,” the foreign woman pouted in disappointment. “Dingding said I would have everything in the new world, that’s why I came with him. Now I can’t even buy new clothes. I never wore last year’s clothes in the past.”

Xue Ziliang asked, “Does the Chief Wen Executive Committee have a plan to make wine?”

“Yes, the Guangzhou station is already working on it, and the Leizhou side will start soon. What are your thoughts?”

“I’m very good at making wine,” Xue Ziliang immediately began to boast about his specialty: he was skilled in making beer, whiskey, gin, vodka, and other foreign liquors by hand. His main hobby was DIY all kinds of alcoholic beverages.

“These are grain alcohols, no need to grow grapes. In fact, without grapes, you can make very good fruit wine and brandy with other fruits. Hainan should have abundant fruit resources. I see a lot of elderberries here.”

“Oh?” Wen Desi thought this was a useful skill. The idea of setting up a winery was too tempting, and also cigarettes—he didn’t know how many times people had suggested this, and also Panpan’s dissatisfaction with the clothes just now. It made sense. Our current clothes are comparable to the Cultural Revolution period. Everyone usually wears durable and easy-to-wash universal brand training uniforms. The most fancy ones are just windbreakers and the like…

Isn’t this the contradiction between backward productivity and the growing material and cultural needs of the masses? Wen Desi remembered the political lessons from middle school. Now that the transmigrators’ environment was initially stable, if they didn’t provide some material and cultural consumption in time, morale would be a concern.

“Okay, we’ll look into this matter!” Wen Desi jotted down his thoughts in his notebook. He looked at Panpan’s dress and called the Planning Committee to ask if he could sell the dress to Panpan.

“Yes, yes, I know it’s needed for intelligence activities. We can buy another dress. And there are only three ladies who can wear this kind of dress. We can just have her act in it again in the future.”

So the dress was sold to Panpan for two thousand point-coupons. In Wen Desi’s opinion, this was a huge discount. It was a real silk dress, and with the embroidery and handmade lace, it would sell for at least ten or twenty thousand RMB in the modern world. However, Dingding didn’t see it that way. When he was called to pay the bill, he frowned so hard that his eyebrows were all twisted together.

“If you want to buy clothes, go to the Women’s Cooperative! At least we’re shareholders there and can get an 88% discount,” Dingding grumbled.

“They only have Chinese-style clothes there. I want to wear this kind of dress. It’s so beautiful,” she said, turning around. The eyes of the several men around her lit up. Dingding’s gaze also became a little dazed.

“This is the last time,” he quickly took Panpan away, lest this foreign woman cause any more trouble.

After sending away the two temporary actors, Bai Duolu sat there with a gloomy look on his face.

“Xiao Bai, your future task is very heavy.”

“Yes, it is the trust of the Executive Committee in me.” Bai Duolu did not want to do this task at all, but he had already refused the position of Bishop of Lingao. If he refused again, he would probably never have a chance to get ahead in the transmigrator group.

After discussing the construction of the church with Bai Duolu, Bai Duolu left. Not long after, He Ying appeared in the conference room.

“Alright, He Ying, you are clear about your tasks. I won’t say much about that French missionary, you understand. Bai Duolu’s position is a bit soft, you have to help him out from time to time. Pay more attention to his movements.”

“Don’t worry, Chief Wen. I will definitely keep a close eye on them.”

“Don’t be aggressive. You should guide and utilize them well. Whether it’s Catholicism or Protestantism, if guided well, they can be used by us and will be of great benefit to our rule.”

“Understood.”

“Also, is he still learning Chinese from you?”

“Yes, he is learning very diligently. He also hopes that someone can teach him the local dialect or Cantonese.”

“You can find Xiong Buyou for this matter. He can speak both. Also—” Wen Desi thought for a moment, “go to Wu De and find a few reliable natives and prepare to let him convert them.”

“Okay, I’ll arrange it right away.”

The next day, Lu Ruohua took the regular trade ship of the Maritime Force Department back to Macau to report to the Jesuits. At the same time, he also brought the transmigrators’ request for craftsmen: wheelwrights, canvas makers, shipwrights, and sail makers. These were all urgently needed technical jobs—although the people in the industrial department knew the most advanced machinery manufacturing, they knew nothing about how to make these old things.

Meanwhile, preparations for the joint defense meeting of the militia were also underway. The propaganda offensive led by Du Wen reached its climax after the Lantern Festival. Four-fifths of the villages in Lingao had given a clear guarantee that they would send people to attend the meeting.

According to preliminary statistics, about four hundred representatives were preparing to attend the meeting, covering about two hundred natural villages and thirteen markets. The representatives were mainly the village chiefs, clan elders, and local gentry.

To prepare for this meeting, the Lingao Construction Corporation expanded a carriage inn in East Gate Market to receive the representatives. Dozens of women were selected from the commune to cook and clean for the representatives.

The biggest project was outside the East Gate Market of Bairen City. The Lingao Construction Corporation enclosed a large area of open space there and built a large stadium. The stadium had a four-hundred-meter running track—Ma Qianzhu couldn’t say how big this stadium should be, so he used the four-hundred-meter track of a standard stadium as the specification. In fact, neither the transmigrators nor the natives of Lingao would need such a large sports facility in the next five years. The main purpose of the stadium was to prepare for Ma Qianzhu’s favorite mass movements. To hold mass rallies and various ceremonies, a sufficiently large and spectacular stadium was needed.