North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 123 I was completely screwed over by that guy! (Seeking monthly votes)
"No, that's not enough!"

Burnett knew that the opportunity to decide his fate was right in front of him; it was just a matter of whether he could seize it!

Unlike interim governors and legislators, California's chief justices serve exceptionally long terms, with a single term lasting up to twelve years.

After the twelve-year term is up, as long as no major mistakes are made and the age permits, one can work for another twelve years!

Being able to serve two consecutive terms as Chief Justice, totaling 24 years, is practically the same as a lifetime appointment.

In California today, there is no more stable public office than that of the Chief Justice of the State!

Moreover, the state chief judge holds supreme judicial power, enjoys a superior and distinguished position, and receives exceptionally generous treatment.

In an era when the average person earns only three to five hundred dollars a year, the Chief Justice of California earns over four thousand dollars a year, making it an absolutely lucrative and prestigious job with high pay and low workload.

So, Burnett suppressed his overwhelming joy and frantically searched for a solution in his mind.

We must get this Chinese man to the position of Chief Justice of the State, no matter what!
I'd even be his dog!
Burnett caught a glimpse of the alluring Monica out of the corner of his eye and suddenly had an idea: "Mr. Li, I have a daughter, Diana, who just turned seventeen this year. She is beautiful and dignified. If you would like, Mr. Li...!"

"I'm sorry, I don't want to...!"

Ah Zu thought to himself, "What's going on? Why does everyone want to be my father-in-law?"
Although marriage is the most secure form of binding, Azu does not like this kind of politically motivated marriage.

Besides, he doesn't lack women! Vivian and the others are already enough for him to work hard for.

"This... is such a shame!" Disappointed by Azu's outright rejection, Burnett quickly tried to come up with another solution.

I racked my brains for ages, but couldn't come up with a reliable idea.

“Sigh, forget it!” Azu said in a deep voice, “Mr. Burnett, loyalty based on mere words is unreliable!”

Azu abruptly changed the subject, getting straight to the point: "As far as I know, Mr. Barrett, you are also a member of the Freemasons, is that right?"

Faced with Azu's question, the former interim governor did not choose to hide it: "Yes...!"

"So, Mr. Barrett, what is your rank within the Freemasons?"

"The sixteenth step, the Prince of Jerusalem!"

"Haha, so Mr. Burnett is also an important member of the Freemasons!"

Azu continued, "Mysterious entities like the Freemasons pose a potential threat to California's prosperity and stability!"

"Although the Freemasons' influence in California is still negligible at present, if left to grow, they will eventually become a malignant tumor."

"Mr. Burnett, do you agree with my point of view?"

Faced with the temptation of the state chief judge, Burnett had no choice but to nod and say, "Mr. Lee, you're right!"

"If you had to choose between the Freemasons and me, Mr. Burnett, who would you choose?"

"Of course... it's Mr. Li, without a doubt!"

"Then, Mr. Burnett, please write down the complete list of California Freemasons that you know!"

As she spoke, Monica placed paper and pen in front of Burnett.

Burnett looked at the paper and pen in front of him and felt an inner struggle he had never experienced before!

Even when he resigned from his hard-won position as interim governor, Burnett did not face such a difficult choice!
Once the Freemasons' list of members is written down, they will be completely sided with this young Chinese man, with no way out.

If the news of leaking the list of Freemasons in California gets out, he will be a traitor who betrayed the Freemasons, and will be despised by all Freemasons, even becoming their enemy, who will wish to get rid of him as soon as possible!
At this moment, Burnett's hands were trembling slightly. He hesitated to pick up the pen, but did not write a single word for a long time!

"What? Is Mr. Burnett afraid or unwilling?" Azu asked coldly.

“This…I…!” Burnett, who was extremely conflicted, had no idea how to answer.

"If you don't want to write, then forget it. I never force anyone!"

Azu said, "Mr. Burnett, I suggest you leave California and start your life afresh!"

As she spoke, Monica reached for the pen in Burnett's hand and the paper on the table!

Seeing this rare opportunity slip through his fingers, Burnett gritted his teeth and finally made a decision.

"No, Mr. Li, I'm just trying to remember who the Freemasons in California are!"

As he spoke, Burnett wrote down a list of more than ten people in a flash, "swish swish swish...!"

After finishing writing, Burnett threw down his pen, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was drenched in sweat and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Azu took the list from Monica and frowned slightly as he looked at the names on it.

"Mr. Burnett, how come the California Freemasons have so few people?"

Burnett wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief: "Compared to the East, the Freemasons in California have only been established for a little over a year, and their scale and influence are still very small."

“These dozen or so people are important members of the California Freemasons, and there are also some lower-ranking peripheral members whom I am not familiar with.”

Azu looked at the name at the top of the list and felt it was somewhat familiar: "De Sandis... isn't that the nice guy who competed with us for the mayor of San Francisco?"

“Yes!” Burnett replied, “Mr. Sandys is a native Californian with considerable prestige in San Francisco and throughout California. He is the most senior member of the California Freemasons and is currently the Grand Master of the California Freemasonry!”

The 21st Grand Master of a Freemason lodge is the head of the lodge and is an absolute core member within Freemasonry.

"I never imagined that Mr. Sandys was so well hidden!"

After a moment of contemplation, Azu asked, "Mr. Burnett, if you were to become the Chief Justice of the state, how long would it take you to become a Grand Master of the Freemasons in California?"

After being taken aback, Burnett hesitated and said, "Sect Master...? This... I am only a sixteenth-rank Jerusalem Prince right now. To become a Sect Master, I need to accumulate qualifications and achievements over the next few years."

“Mr. Burroughs, within the Freemasons, I need to have high-ranking members of my own faction!”

Ah Zu said, "However, it is extremely difficult to plant one's own people within the Freemasons!"

"Even if someone is planted, they must start from the lowest level of apprentice and cannot play any role."

"And it is extremely difficult to recruit such an important Freemason as Mr. Burnett into our ranks!"

"So, Mr. Burnett, since you have ultimately chosen me, I must promote you to the position of Grand Master of the California Freemasonry in the shortest possible time."

“Mr. Burnett, as long as you remain absolutely loyal, you will not only soon become the Chief Justice of the State, but I will also provide you with all the support to make you a Freemason magistrate within a year!”

"A year...? A branch master...?"

Burnett felt that happiness had come so suddenly that he was in a daze from the overwhelming joy!
Azu added, “Of course, whether in the position of Chief Justice of the State or in the position of Master of the Freemasonry, I need Mr. Burnett to do what he can for me.”

“Of course, Mr. Li, you can absolutely trust my loyalty!” Burnett replied hastily.

"Loyalty...? Hah!"

Ah Zu looked at the paper in his hand and smiled!
Can you expect loyalty from someone like Burnett without absolute control? How can someone who just betrayed the Freemasons have the nerve to utter the word "loyalty"?

Only Ah Zu was confident that he could keep such a two-faced person firmly under his control.

Azu handed the paper to Monica to put away and continued, "Mr. Burnett, I will not directly push you into the position of Chief Justice of the State, so as not to expose our relationship."

"Many members of the state legislature are on the Freemasons' list, and I think they will definitely support you to become the chief judge."

"Add to that the number of congressmen I secretly control, and that's enough to make you the Chief Justice of the State."

"Mr. Burnett, you must maintain the previous strained, even hostile, relationship with us...!"

"No, no, no!" Burnett hurriedly waved his hands in a panic, "Mr. Li, how could I dare...!"

“Let me finish!” Azu continued, “Mr. Burnett, you want to portray yourself as the vanguard and representative of those who oppose me and Huamei Industrial!”

"Only in this way can you gain the trust of the Freemasons' leadership and those who oppose me, understand?"

Burnett suddenly understood: "Mr. Li, I understand! Only in this way can I better serve you, is that right?"

"Hehe, yes!"

Burnett exclaimed sincerely, "Mr. Li, your wisdom is truly astonishing!"

After Burnett left, Monica couldn't help but ask, "My master, can someone like Burnett really be trusted?"

"Trust?" Azu shook his head: "It's just exploitation. Someone like him will never become one of our own!"

"My master, you are so mean!"

"Don't you know whether I'm bad or not?"

"Hehe, my master, you can be even more naughty... Eek...!"

Still on his desk, Ah Zu once again savored the intensely moist taste.
-
A few days later, Parker Parker, the dark horse, unexpectedly became the new interim governor of California with the support of a majority of state legislators!
Upon becoming interim governor, he immediately appointed Jason Stanley as the state police chief.

Meanwhile, the state legislature also elected former interim governor Peter Hardman Burnett by a narrow majority to become the chief judge of the state court!
Throughout California's power structure, almost everyone knows that former interim governor Burnett had a terrible relationship with that damn Chinaman.

Right now, that damned Chinaman has seized control of the most crucial positions, including interim governor, state senator, state police chief, and state attorney general.

The fact that Burnett, who had a terrible relationship with that Chinaman, became the Chief Justice was not only unexpected, but also seen by many as a very rare victory!

The governor, speaker of the legislature, and chief justice represent the separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, respectively!
With the executive and legislative branches firmly in the hands of that Chinese man, the presence of such an opponent in the position of Chief Justice, who represents judicial power, is all the more important!
So on the night Burnett became Chief Justice and moved into the official residence, many people eagerly gathered around him.

"Mr. Burnett, congratulations again on becoming the Chief Justice of the State!"

De Sandis, who was still ostensibly a senior San Francisco councilman, raised his glass to Burnett in his study.

De Sandis, who was in his early sixties, was a well-known gentleman who had no interest in money or women; his only interests were hunting and fishing.

DeSantis is also passionate about public welfare and frequently speaks out for the poor. Although he lost the last San Francisco mayoral election, it was due to the machinations of that Chinese man, not a matter of his reputation or approval rating.

But almost no one knows that DeSantis is the most senior Freemason in all of California and a Grand Master of a California Freemasonry rank!

Burnett, beaming with delight, raised his glass and lightly clinked it with de Sandis's: "I owe my appointment as Chief Justice of the State to Mr. Sandis's strong support!"

"Heh!" De Sandis smiled knowingly. "Mr. Burnett and I share the same ideals. Who else would I support if not you?"

The other two people in the study also raised their glasses with joy on their faces.

One of these two is House Speaker George Ansel, who represents the Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the House.

The other person was Aldrich Wilson, who became the leader of the Whig Party in California after the suicide of former interim governor Brosnan.

After raising their glasses, the four of them took their seats.

Before the joy on Wilson's face had faded, a look of worry appeared between his brows.

"That Chinese guy is slowly devouring the whole of California! Luckily, Chief Justice Burnett is the state's chief judge; otherwise, no one in the entire state could possibly restrain him!"

Upon hearing Wilson's words, DeSantis asked in surprise, "Mr. Wilson, even if the State Senate President, Edgar Allan Poe, is that Chinaman's man, the majority of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives are still Whigs and Democrats. Why can't they check and balance that Chinaman?"

"This...this...!" Wilson stammered, unable to speak. He couldn't very well say that most of the members of Congress had very serious secrets that the Chinese man had in his hands, leaving them no choice but to let him manipulate them, could he?
This included Aldrich Wilson, the leader of the Whig Party in California!
He and former interim governor Brosnan conspired against that Chinaman quite a bit, including the Quincy massacre!

After his failure, Brosnan was forced to resign and commit suicide as an apology.

Surprisingly, these conspirators were not held accountable by the Chinese man.

It's like a giant guillotine hanging overhead, seemingly ready to fall at any moment, yet it remains motionless.

But with such a huge handle and dirt in the hands of that Chinese guy, they had no choice but to compromise on many things!
For example, even if these Whigs and Democrats are unwilling to accept the appointment of the interim governor, they have to grit their teeth and accept it!
Seeing a big shot like Wilson, the leader of the Whig Party in California, with such a constipated expression when he mentioned that Chinese guy, how could DeSantis, a seasoned veteran in politics for many years, not understand the logic?
"Sigh...!" De Sandis sighed softly, "That Chinese guy is absolutely terrifying! Even someone like me, who has never done anything wrong in my life, was terribly screwed over by him! It's simply impossible to guard against him!"

DeSantis was referring to the time when Azu used a subtle tactic of flattery to sabotage him during the last San Francisco mayoral election.

"Hmph!" the newly appointed state chief judge Burnett scoffed. "Are you all so afraid of that damned Chinaman?"

House Speaker and California Democratic Leader George Ansel scoffed dismissively, “Mr. Burnett, didn’t you also suffer a great loss at the hands of that Chinaman during your time as interim governor?”

"Otherwise, why would you so easily resign from your hard-won position as interim governor?"

Burnett raised his chin: "That's because we didn't know much about that Chinaman back then, and the state government had just been established, so we didn't have any means to fight him!"

"Heh heh heh!" Speaker Ansel sneered, "Now, that Chinaman is even stronger! Mr. Burnett, you couldn't even be a good interim governor before, and now you're just the Chief Justice, what makes you think you can compete with him?"

“This…!” After a slight silence, Burnett replied, “At least, he can’t use legal means against us!”

"Legal means, hah...!" Speaker Ansel continued with a cold laugh, "He could easily make any one of us here disappear completely! He has simpler, more practical methods; why would he need legal means?"

"No, no, no!" DeSantis slowly shook his head: "California is not a place where he can rule with his own hands!"

"Oh?" Speaker Ansel turned to look at him curiously: "Mr. Sandys, do you perhaps have some other good ideas for dealing with that Chinaman?"

De Sandis was still shaking his head: "How could I, a mere city councilor, possibly have any way to deal with him?"

“However…!” De Sandis drawled, “My friends in Washington wrote me a letter…!”

"A letter? Washington?"

Seeing that he had successfully piqued the interest of the three men, De Sandis lowered his voice and said, "My friends in Washington told me in a letter that the situation in California is very worrying given the series of shocking massacres, so...!"

"Therefore, Washington is preparing to relocate the Army Southwest Command from New Mexico to California!"

"What...?" Upon hearing this, the three of them were simultaneously taken aback, and then their faces lit up with joy!

"It's not just about relocating the Southwest Command! Washington is also preparing to strengthen the Army's deployment in California to deter any potential destabilizing factors!"

(End of this chapter)