Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 404: Blood as a Lesson
"I don't quite understand what the minister means." Johann Adam Schall von Bell knew that there was some hidden meaning in Xu Guangqi's words, but this time he couldn't taste it.

Xu Guangqi didn't explain. "You'll understand sooner or later."

"Xu Butang," Tang Ruowang's heartbeat began to accelerate, and his body temperature rose, but he felt cold. "How will this case end?"

"Didn't the Censorate tell you?" Xu Guangqi asked back.

"No, nothing was said." Tang Ruowang shook his head and said, "After we received our allowance and had our last meal, General Zhang let us go. We don't need to go again."

Xu Guangqi asked again, "Have you read the Great Ming Code?"

Tang Ruowang replied, "I read it roughly." "The Great Ming Code" was a book sold in all bookstores. After being released, Tang Ruowang immediately borrowed money from Sun Yuanhua to buy a set to read.

"Then you should know what the verdict will be." Xu Guangqi said.

"Is it really the greatest disrespect among the ten evils?" Johann Adam Schall von Bell began to tremble.

"It's not only disrespectful, but also unrighteous." Xu Guangqi still flashed a fleeting trace of reluctance.

Tang Ruowang was horrified. After a moment's silence, he said, "Doesn't the 'Left and Righteous' Regulations say, 'Any sorcerer who pretends to summon evil spirits, writes spells and incantations, prays to the spirits, calls himself Duan Gong, Tai Bao, or Shi Po, or falsely claims to belong to Maitreya Buddha, the White Lotus Society, the Mingzun Sect, the White Cloud Sect, or hides images, burns incense to gather people, gathers at night and disperses at dawn, pretends to do good deeds, and incites the people'? The Jesuits never did any of these things!"

"You remember it quite clearly." Xu Guangqi closed his eyes, rubbed his brow, and seemed to be reciting. "'The Christian Church, while not Maitreya, the White Lotus Society, the Mingzun Sect, the White Cloud Sect, and so on, has never existed in China, and therefore is not mentioned in the law, so it seems that it should not be strictly followed. However, the acts of gathering people, inciting mischief, and slandering the emperor are all facts, and the confessions are detailed. Therefore, we should compare this article to the perpetrators, severely punish them, and serve as a warning to others. We must forever eradicate their intention to use barbarians to change China.'"

After saying this, Xu Guangqi opened his eyes and said, "It's an analogy. The Jesuits as a whole are not heretical, but some of them are."

Tang Ruowang took two steps forward, came to the edge of the large case, and choked up, "Minister, is there any room for maneuver?"

"You want to ask me if I can submit a petition for help?" Xu Guangqi revealed Tang Ruowang's thoughts.

"Yes. I would like to ask the Minister for the sake of President Matteo Ricci." Tang Ruowang was interrupted by Xu Guangqi before he finished speaking. "Before you came, I had already submitted a memorial."

Before Xu Guangqi finished speaking, a smile broke out on Tang Ruowang's face. "Thank you, Minister!"

"Don't be happy, and don't thank me." Xu Guangqi's face was as cold as steel. "The memorial I submitted requested that the emperor punish those who rebelled according to national law. The passage I just read was from that memorial."

"Why!" exclaimed Johann Adam Schall von Bell.

"Why else? For myself, of course." Xu Guangqi couldn't help but turn his head away. "In a case of this nature, getting involved means death. I have to clear myself. Isn't it because you realized this that you wrote the 'Petition', saying that you realized it too late?"

"I" Tang Ruowang's eyes suddenly dimmed. He wanted to say something to defend himself, but after hesitating for a long time, he could only nod and mutter, not knowing what he was saying.

"I'm done!" Xu Guangqi's tone became much more serious.

"I'm here." Tang Ruowang's response sounded like a whine.

"Let me ask you," Xu Guangqi stared at Johann Adam Schall von Bell. "Why did the Jesuits choose such a person to go to Liaodong?"

"I don't know." Johann Adam Schall von Bell had already considered the question thoroughly and didn't find it odd. "After receiving your letter, President Long Huamin organized an election. It was a standard, open election, with voluntary registration and a vote by senior clergy. Mendoza was the first to raise his hand and the most enthusiastic. The others either didn't run or weren't as enthusiastic as Mendoza. Plus, President Long seemed to favor him, so he was chosen."

"Did no one raise any objections at that time?" Xu Guangqi put his hands on the table and leaned forward a little.

"No one objected at the meeting." Johann Adam Schall von Bell seemed to realize something and quickly changed his tone. "We don't know what Mendoza is up to! If we knew he was so rebellious, not only unaware of the grace of His Majesty to call him and stay here, but instead acting and speaking so recklessly, there would definitely be opposition, and he wouldn't be able to go to Liaodong!"

The more Tang Ruowang spoke, the more guilty he felt. Now that he thought about it, although the election itself was not unusual, if one were to take the court's attitude toward the matter as a reference, Mendoza's speech at the election meeting had already demonstrated clear "opposition" and disrespect.

Furthermore, the person chosen by the conference was not an interpreter at all, but a devout, even fanatical, missionary. Rather than saying that Mendoza went to Liaodong to serve as an interpreter, it would be more accurate to say that he was prepared to go there to preach, with translation being a secondary purpose.

Thinking of this, Tang Ruowang began to sweat coldly. If the court continued to investigate the process of this election meeting, then every one of the participants, including the merchant representatives who were present, would be charged with knowing the truth and not reporting it.

"Someone will object," Xu Guangqi said coldly. "Who? You?"

"I am a subject receiving a salary from the Celestial Empire. If I had known such a commotion would ensue, I would have objected immediately." A flush of guilt crept into Tang Ruowang's face. "And not just me, but also Father Jin, who brought us to the Celestial Empire! After the election, Father Jin urged Mendoza to do his duty and prioritize his duties for the court."

"Oh, persuasion." A feeling of self-abandonment suddenly surged into Xu Guangqi's chest.

Tang Ruowang thought Xu Guangqi didn't believe it. "Father Jin really did persuade us. After the election, as soon as everyone left the prayer room, Father Jin grabbed Mendoza. I saw it clearly."

"Persuasion is useless!" Xu Guangqi, who was always known for his elegance, suddenly cursed. "Did you persuade him?"

When the Jesuits first arrived in Beijing, Xu Guangqi advised the Longhua people to learn from the Nanjing Incident, follow the Li principles, and never go against Chinese traditions. Only by following the path of "Christian-Confucian integration" and sinicizing the teachings of Jesus, just like Buddhism came to China a thousand years ago, could the church have the possibility of long-term and stable existence. If they cling to the old ways and insist on having their own way, they will only fail to adapt to the local environment and will inevitably cause chaos.

The negative emotions didn't linger in Xu Guangqi's mind for long. He quickly realized his emotionally charged remarks, so he propped up his head, took two deep breaths, and hurriedly gathered his thoughts. "Unless the emperor grants further mercy, there will be no room for maneuver. Let's think about how to learn from this and let blood serve as a warning."

"Yes." Johann Adam Schall von Bell lowered his head sadly.

"Go ahead. If you don't have anything else to do in the near future, don't come to the Ministry of Rites to find me. I will come to find you after the case is over." Xu Guangqi waved his hand.

"Yes, I'll take my leave." Johann Adam Schall von Bell bowed and turned around, his whole body drooping, and every step he took seemed so heavy.

"Alas." Xu Guangqi propped up his head, silently looking at the egret patch on Tang Ruowang's back, and slowly fell into deep thought.
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The next day, the sun was high in the sky and the sky was blue.

A carriage, adorned with lanterns from the Western Factory, passed unhindered through the blockade of the Northern Pacification Office and came to a steady stop at the gate of the Xin Mansion in Paizi Hutong, Xihe Street, Zhengxifang. As the carriage stopped, the door curtain was immediately rolled up by a small eunuch who was accompanying the carriage and placed it on a hook on the carriage frame.

"Si Zheng, slow down." Everyone has their own travel habits. Li Yongzhen doesn't like stepping on human floor mats, so the driver always reaches out to help him get off the car.

Li Yongzhen jumped out of the car and looked at the captain guarding the door. "I'm Li Yongzhen. Open the door."

The lieutenants had never met Li Yongzhen, but they had all heard of him. With the Executive Bureau being headed by Admiral Wei Zhongxian himself, the Director of the General Affairs Department was the third-highest ranking official in the Western Depot. Most of the correspondence and notices sent by the Western Depot to the Imperial Guards came from him.

"Yes!" The captain guarding the gate turned around and knocked on the door without asking him to produce proof.

There was someone guarding the door, and the captain only knocked twice before he heard the sound of the bolt being lifted from the other side of the door.

The door opened, Li Yongzhen stepped over the threshold, and asked the captain guarding the gate, "Where is Yang Huan?"

"The captain should be in the study now. I will lead the way for you." During the day, the hanging flower door was only half-closed, and the captain pushed it open.

"Okay." Li Yongzhen followed the captain's steps and came to the largest study in the house, which was also the place with the best lighting in the whole house.

When Li Yongzhen came over, Yang Huan, a centurion in charge of criminal justice, was lying on a recliner reading in the beautiful sunlight.

"Cough." Li Yongzhen coughed lightly, but Yang Huan was already fascinated by what he saw, and this little noise did not affect him at all. It was General Gao who caught up with him halfway who reminded him, "Captain Yang, Li Shaojian from the Western Factory is here." Only then did Yang Huan jump up from the recliner.

"I, Yang Huan, greet the Junior Supervisor Li." Yang Huan straightened up and saluted Li Yongzhen hurriedly.

"Captain Yang has such a refined taste." Li Yongzhen bent down and picked up the book Yang Huan had thrown on the recliner. "Oh, it's Journey to the West again."

Yang Huan scratched his head awkwardly and said, "This confinement job is usually quite boring. But with my job to do, I dare not leave my post and go out to have fun. So I asked someone to go to the study and buy two sets of novels to read, to at least relieve my boredom. But reading is reading, and I haven't missed my work. Nothing has gone wrong here. I hope you will be magnanimous and show me some leniency."

"You know that good things should be kept within the family." Li Yongzhen didn't respond to him. He opened the book and turned to the title page. He saw the seven big characters "Printed by the Imperial Household Department" at a glance, and the publication date next to it was "February of the first year of Taichang".

"How much is the price?" Li Yongzhen asked casually.

"Uh..." Yang Huan scratched his head again. He had asked his subordinates to buy the book. The people in charge were busy trying to curry favor with him, so how could they possibly ask him for money?

"That's enough," Li Yongzhen handed the novel back to Yang Huan. "Let's get down to business." He didn't intend to ask Yang Huan about the desertion.

Yang Huan breathed a sigh of relief. He put away the novel and assumed a respectful attitude. "Just give me your orders, sir."

"Gather all the foreigners in this house into the main courtyard," said Li Yongzhen.

"Yes." Yang Huanxian responded, then turned around and winked at Gao Zongqi.

Gao Zongqi understood, nodded and ran out of the study.

"Line up!" With General Gao's loud shout, the whole yard immediately became noisy.

"Master Li, have you finished your mission here?" Yang Huan asked.

"It's over, I guess." Li Yongzhen walked out of the study, and Yang Huan immediately followed. "At least you guys don't have anything to do with it anymore."

Yang Huan was stunned for a moment, then asked hurriedly, "Why don't we arrest a few and take them to the Imperial Prison for questioning?"

"The Censorate has already concluded the case, why are you still asking questions?" Li Yongzhen walked slowly towards the courtyard.

When Li Yongzhen and Yang Huan arrived, sword-wielding Jinyiwei were already lined up on either side of the courtyard, in front of a newly dragged chair. Soon, foreigners began to emerge from the rooms, escorted by other Jinyiwei. Li Yongzhen lifted his robe and sat down, while Yang Huan stood beside him, holding the hilt of his sword like a door god.

"What can we learn from just those documents?" Yang Huan said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "These barbarians are not honest. If we don't interrogate them carefully, we'll probably miss a lot of treacherous people."

"What shouldn't leak won't leak." Li Yongzhen said quietly.

Yang Huan shuddered and quickly said, "It's my fault for speaking too much."

Li Yongzhen nodded with satisfaction. "You are indeed very clever."

Yang Huan grinned and bowed several times to Li Yongzhen.

Soon, the space created by the Jinyiwei was filled by the foreigners. Seeing that the space was still not filled after the last foreigner entered, General Gao ordered his officers to tighten the encirclement, further restricting the foreigners' range of movement and preventing them from suddenly attacking and threatening the only person sitting in the courtyard.

The Jinyiwei held the hilts of their swords and approached step by step, as if a wall with spikes that could emerge at any time was squeezing the flesh and blood.

Not to mention the young missionaries who arrived in Beijing later and had never seen such a big scene, even the mercenaries who were strong and used to dealing with people with their fists were trembling with fear at the solemn and murderous aura and dared not breathe loudly.

Li Yongzhen stood up only after the noise died down.

More than ten years in prison had tortured Li Yongzhen into a frail and weak state, but the support and protection of the Embroidered Uniform Guards made him appear so majestic.

"There is an order." Li Yongzhen opened his lips and spoke slowly.

The foreigners, familiar with the rules of the Celestial Empire, knew that when Li Yongzhen uttered these three words, he was no longer himself but the incarnation of the emperor, so they immediately knelt down. But even though President Long Huamin knelt, there were still some people standing.

(End of this chapter)