North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 139 The Shoemaker's Son of Genoa!

That evening, Victoria, who stayed in San Francisco, received a message from Ah Zu via carrier pigeon!
After reading Azu's text message, Victoria felt that the matter was of great importance. Without hesitation, she copied the message several times using a coded message and sent them out simultaneously using several carrier pigeons.

These carrier pigeons each had a different destination: some flew to New Mexico, some to Texas, and some to Arkansas...!
Of the eighteen sites currently in existence, the furthest root has quietly grown all the way to Arkansas in the south-central United States.

The homing pigeons depart from San Francisco and, barring unforeseen circumstances, should reach Arkansas in three to four days.

The intelligence agents from the 18th Division, having received the message, could reach Washington by crossing Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland from Arkansas.

By using carrier pigeons to deliver messages, the land distance was shortened by at least 70%.

In the absence of wired telegraph and railroads throughout the Midwest, carrier pigeons were undoubtedly the fastest way to send messages.

If Brigadier General George Phillips hadn't used special means, information about Huamei Industries would likely have reached Lincoln much earlier.
-
After confirming that Model Village was safe and sound, Azu did not stay long. The next day, he took Youma and the Second Militia Regiment and returned to San Francisco by armed fleet.

There were still many things waiting for him, one of the most important of which was attending Bishop Evan's ordination ceremony!
Indeed, with the powerful boost of gold, dollars, and penicillin from Bishop Evan, his appointment as Archbishop of California was finally confirmed by the Vatican.

In particular, almost all penicillin at present has been spread to church hospitals all over the world through Bishop Evan, saving countless lives, bringing great prestige to the church, countless believers, and... a huge amount of wealth!

Because of the immense power of penicillin, Bishop Evan's name rose to fame at an incredible speed, making him a highly sought-after figure within the entire church.

There are even rumors that Evan Connor's name has caught the attention of that sage!

Without a doubt, Bishop Evan's promotion to Archbishop of California received almost unanimous support within the Church!

Whether it's Cardinal John Hughes of the United States, or the Archbishop and His Holiness of the Holy See!

Bishop Evan's ordination ceremony to become an archbishop is scheduled for this Sunday, and Azu needs to get back as quickly as possible.

This is an extremely rare opportunity for almost all of California's elites to gather together!

Definitely not to be missed!

Ah Zu only managed to get back to San Francisco late the night before this important ceremony.

After a quick wash and a hearty meal, it was already dawn.

I had only taken a two-hour nap when Vivian, who was sitting next to me, woke me up with a passionate kiss.

"Time to get up, my Assistant Governor!"

Vivian lay on her side on the bed, propping her head up with one hand, and winked playfully at Azu.

"Good morning, my little angel...!"

"My lord, you haven't forgotten what day it is today, have you?"

Azu sat up, stretched, and shook his groggy head: "I came all the way back for today's promotion ceremony, how could I forget!"

Vivian nestled against Azu's back, her large, soft breasts pressing against his back, and whispered, "You were the one who put Uncle Evan in this archbishop's position. Once you've achieved your goal, won't you then elevate him to the position of cardinal of America?"

"A cardinal?" Azu rubbed his eyes. "I don't have that idea yet, but if Archbishop Evan wants to, it's not impossible...!"

"Pfft...!" Vivian laughed and punched Azu on the back: "All you know is how to take advantage of poor Uncle Evan. What's so good about being an archbishop or cardinal? You have to worry about so much more!"

"A cardinal is qualified to run for pope...!"

As soon as Ah Zu uttered those words, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him, and he felt like he had another idea.

"What did you say? The Pope...? Wow...!"

Vivian covered her mouth, looking very surprised.

"Hehe, just kidding...!" Azu turned to Vivian and asked, "By the way, are your mother and Uncle Evan's families Italian?"

“Yes!” Vivian nodded. “My mother and Uncle Evan’s family are from Genoa, Italy. My maternal grandfather was a shoemaker in Genoa…!”

"Hehe, he really is Italian!" Azu smiled with satisfaction.

“What are you laughing at? I’m half Prussian and half Italian, don’t you like that?” Vivian asked, blinking.

"I love it! Of course I love it! Mixed-race people are the most beautiful and intelligent!"

Ah Zu replied, "However, I'm thinking about something else."

"what's up?"

"Throughout history, almost all the popes have been Italian!"

"There was only one, Adrian VI, a German of Dutch descent, who was the only non-Italian pope."

"This non-Italian pope, before he could even settle into his throne, died a violent death after only a year in office, and you Italians call him the 'pope of barbarians'."

"Wow, really?" Vivian was quite surprised.

“Yes!” Azu nodded: “If Uncle Evan were to one day don the red robes, and if he were Italian, then perhaps it really could be worth a try…!”

"Bang bang bang...!" Vivian pounded on Azu's back, scolding, "You really dare to dream of making Uncle Evan the Pope!"

"What's there to be afraid of thinking about?"

Azu stretched again: "Uncle Evan is now an archbishop, and he's only two steps away from the papacy."

"Huh?" Vivian exclaimed in utter shock, "Azu, are you serious?"

"Haha, we'll see. Maybe there's even the slightest chance."

Azu chuckled: "If Uncle Evan becomes Pope, how about we have her grant you and your father a noble title for fun?"

"Tch, those European nobles? What's so interesting about them?" Vivian said dismissively.

"Hehe, nobles are quite fun! For example... um, never mind!"

Ah Zu recalled a beautiful figure from his childhood that left a very deep impression.

"What do you mean 'forget'? Tell me, tell me, where are the fun things to do with European nobles?" Vivian pressed on his back, refusing to give up.

Azu thought for a moment and asked, "My little angel, you are Prussian. Have you ever heard of the Kingdom of Bavaria, which is also Germanic?"

“Of course I’ve heard of it!” Vivian nodded.

Azu said, "I've heard that the Bavarian Alps are picturesque, exceptionally beautiful and magnificent. You can ski in winter, hunt in autumn, and fish in summer...!"

Speaking of fishing, Azu recalled a memorable scene: "Yeah, it's just so much fun. How about we go to Bavaria sometime in the future?"

"Great! Great! Great!..." Vivian cheered excitedly, "I've never been to Europe, I've never been to Prussia, I've never been to Bavaria, I've never been to the Alps...!"

At this point, Vivian's expression suddenly darkened: "But you never have time! Not even time for our engagement...!"

"It will happen!" Azu kissed Vivian's little face. "Trust me, it will definitely happen!"

When Azu and Vivian finished getting ready and came out of the room, almost all of Huamei Industry's core personnel, a huge group, were gathered in front of the small building, dressed in their finest attire, laughing at each other's outfits.

With Vivian's careful styling, Azu also wore a top-notch tailcoat designed and made by Lady Anna herself for the first time.

Wow...!

When Azu appeared arm in arm with Vivian, all eyes were on the two of them, and everyone gasped in surprise.

"Hi, my boss, I've never seen you look as handsome as you do today!"

Victoria unceremoniously took Ah Zu's other arm.

"Hi, my master, you look absolutely stunning today!"

Monica's eyes sparkled as she sincerely praised him.

"Do I look really handsome today?"

Azu looked at Daisy and asked with a smile.

"Yeah, you look especially handsome today!" Dai nodded without hesitation.

“My little Daisy never lies, so I truly believe you!”

Azu, leading a large group of people, boarded their respective carriages and set off for the Church of Dolores.

When their caravan arrived at the town square in front of the Church of Dolores, the place was already teeming with horse-drawn carriages, causing severe traffic congestion.

It was only through the combined efforts of the San Francisco Police Department and the militia that Huamei Industries' convoy was able to park smoothly in front of the city square.

As Azu, arm in arm with Vivian, stepped down from the carriage, hundreds of dignitaries who had already gathered in the square began to surround them from all directions.

"Governor, hello! I'm Graeme Anthony, the mayor of San Jose. It's a pleasure to meet you...!" "Governor, hello! I'm Seven Harden, the mayor of Sacramento. It's a pleasure to meet you...!"

“Governor, hello! I am Nelson Paul, Chairman of the Board of Directors of California National Bank. It’s a pleasure to meet you…!”

“Governor, hello! I am Bishop Rich Wood of the Southern California Diocese. It’s a pleasure to meet you…!”

"Hello, Governor, I am...!"

……

Everyone automatically ignored the word "assistant" in Ah Zu's title!

Because everyone knows that right now, this young man from China is the undisputed and genuine Governor of California, the most powerful and wealthy person in the entire state!

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you!!"

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you...!"

Azuchong greeted everyone who swarmed in from all directions with a perfectly polite smile, and then shook hands with each of them.

Because of Archbishop Evan's ordination, almost all the prominent figures in California gathered here.

These dignitaries, who rarely had the opportunity to meet Azu in person before, took this chance to make friends with this legendary young man who had only come from China last year.

Similarly, Azu also wanted to take this opportunity to network with powerful figures throughout California.

So Victoria and Monica followed closely behind Azu, handing out beautifully decorated invitations to the dignitaries who flocked to introduce themselves.

"Mr. Li Zunian will be hosting a banquet at the Rosewood Hotel tonight. Mayor Anthony is welcome to attend!"

"Mr. Li Zunian will be hosting a banquet at the Rosewood Hotel tonight. Mayor Harden is welcome to attend!"

"Mr. Li Zunian will be hosting a banquet at the Rosewood Hotel tonight. Chairman Paul is welcome to attend!"

"Mr. Li Zunian will be hosting a banquet at the Rosewood Hotel tonight. Bishop Wood is welcome to attend!"

……

Throughout California, all the prominent figures from various places received this exquisite gold-embossed invitation.

Those who received the invitation all wore smug expressions, as if the gold-embossed invitation was a recognition of their status.

Those who did not receive an invitation clearly showed their disappointment.

However, their disappointment was overshadowed.

Because the mayor of San Francisco, Mr. Vic Moore, also hosted another banquet at the Rosewood Hotel, specifically to entertain these VIPs of slightly lower status.

Almost everyone in the square received a warm invitation.

This includes San Francisco's veteran councilman DeSantis, Whig Party leader Representative Wilson of the state legislature, and State Assembly Speaker Ansel.

However, they could only sit at Mayor Vic's table!
Upon seeing the rather low-quality invitation in their hands, both Senator Wilson and Speaker Ansel's faces darkened.

"Hmph...!" Congressman Wilson grunted, lowering his voice, "Why didn't that damned Chinaman invite us?"

Speaker Ansel said with a dark face, "Are we not worthy of being invited by that Chinese guy?"

"Heh heh...!" De Sandis sneered, "Why did he invite us? Can't you see? That Chinese guy is already starting to win over the hearts and minds of all of California!"

"Winning over the hearts and minds of all of California?"

Upon hearing De Sandis's words, Wilson and Ansel were startled: "You mean...?"

"Don't forget, there are only two months left until the California election!"

DeSantis gazed at Azu's retreating figure and the throng of people surrounding him: "This Chinaman is determined to win this California election! So, he must do everything he can to win over everyone's hearts!"

"Damn it!" Wilson exclaimed. "Could this Chinaman really be planning to officially run for governor?"

"Why not? The Foreign Workers Affirmative Action Act has cleared all obstacles for him!"

"But he's just a yellow-skinned Chinese man, a yellow-skinned governor of California?"

Wilson and Ansel found it incredible.

De Sandis sneered, "Where is his skin yellow? He looks even whiter than us white people!"

That old man is right!
Having spent more than a year in the sun, my skin is indeed whiter than many white people.

"Uh...that's not what we meant!"

De Sandis continued, "I know what you mean!"

“There are 20,000 to 30,000 Chinese people in California who are eligible to vote, and the vast majority of them are his employees.”

“There are also thousands of white employees who have been employed by China Industries.”

"Based on this calculation, he must have at least 30,000 iron tickets in his possession."

"There are only about 100,000 eligible voters in the entire state of California."

"Now that Evan has become the Archbishop of California, the entire church will do everything in its power to campaign for him."

"And that damn Standard, its circulation is now almost the sum of all other California newspapers! They'll definitely be cheering him on like crazy!"

"Now, he is starting to win over the hearts and minds of the powerful and wealthy in various places. Behind each of these powerful and wealthy individuals are a large number of votes."

"If most of the elite also stand up to support him, will there still be any suspense in this election?"

Wilson and Ansel, the Whig and Democratic candidates respectively, along with Azu, made this gubernatorial election a three-way race.

Upon hearing De Sandis's analysis, both candidates' faces turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"With so many powerful figures scattered throughout California, they wouldn't be so easily brought under his control, would they?"

Wilson was quite unconvinced.

"Not easily won over? Heh...!" De Sandis sneered sarcastically, "Whether it's the Whig Party or the Democratic Party, do you have their financial resources and strength?"

"This Chinese guy only needs to slip a tiny bit of profit through his fingers to these powerful people, and that's enough to win over many hearts!"

"This...!" Wilson and Ansel were both speechless, unable to utter any further rebuttal.

De Sandis, not content with that, continued, "Putting aside everything else, just granting the distribution rights of penicillin to these powerful figures in various regions—wouldn't these money-grubbing elites rush to cheer him on?"

“Gurgle…!”

Wilson and Ansel swallowed hard.

If they could obtain the distribution rights for penicillin, even for a small town, not only these powerful figures, but even these two party leaders would be thrilled.

"Then what about this election?"

Ansel asked, "Aren't we just supposed to watch this Chinese guy become California's first governor?"

DeSantis replied, "I've said it before, California itself is no match for him to become the King of California!"

"unless……!"

“Unless what?” Ansel and Wilson quickly pressed for an answer.

DeSantis replied softly, "Unless Washington can personally intervene and use the power of the entire United States to suppress him!"

"The power of the entire United States? Is that... even possible?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way; anything is possible!"

De Sandis did not reveal any details.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited ordination ceremony of Archbishop Evan was slowly beginning in the Dolores Church.

The Church of Dolores was not large enough, and there were too many people attending the ordination ceremony, so most of them had to be seated in the town square.

Only the top one or two hundred people in all of California are qualified to enter the church and witness this solemn moment.

And Azu, of course, sat in the very center of the first row, watching the spirited and splendid Archbishop Even, the son of a shoemaker from Genoa, walk step by step up to the high altar!

(End of this chapter)