North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 195 When something goes wrong, there must be a monster

After Pope Pius IX left, the College of Cardinals seized the time to discuss the issue of Azu's title of Count.

Secretary of State Antonelli, as the second-highest-ranking official in the Papacy, first set the tone for the discussion.

"Regarding the title bestowed upon that young Chinese governor, in my opinion, the following principles should be followed."

"First and foremost, one must be noble and honorable enough. As a nobleman personally conferred by the Papal Court, one absolutely cannot sound like a ragtag nobleman or a chicken count."

"Secondly, the United States is a secular country, and its relationship with the Papacy has always been rather complicated."

"Therefore, the conferred earldom title cannot involve the territorial issues of the United States."

"For example, titles like Earl of California are absolutely forbidden."

"Because this could easily lead to misunderstandings, making it seem as if the Vatican granted the entire state of California to that young Chinese governor! This would certainly provoke strong opposition from the American government and would also contradict the original intentions of our Vatican."

"Secondly, it must also reflect sufficient regionality and relevance. We cannot bestow upon that Chinese governor a title that has nothing to do with him."

……

After Secretary of State Antonelli set the tone, the cardinals of the College of Cardinals worked tirelessly, racking their brains to come up with a suitable title for the young Chinese governor.

After much discussion and considerable effort, the cardinals racked their brains but still couldn't come up with a suitable solution.

Indian Earl, Dragon Earl, Eastern Earl, Magnificent Earl... all sorts of random titles came up, every single one that could be thought of.

But after all the discussions, not a single one of these account bans was satisfactory!

Archbishop Even, who had been sitting quietly at the back of the table, could no longer contain himself and cautiously raised his hand.

"Excuse me, Secretary of State, may I say a few words...?"

“Oh…?” Antonelli turned his gaze to Archbishop Evan, who had remained silent, and smiled. “Of course, Evan! The reason for inviting you to this meeting is to hear your opinion.”

"After all, you are the person in the entire church who knows California best and that Chinese governor best!"

"Ahem...!" Archbishop Evan cleared his throat: "Secretary of State, I wouldn't say I know him best, but I do have a few humble opinions..."

“Evan, just say it. As the archbishop who has made a huge contribution to the entire church, you are absolutely qualified to express your opinion.”

Archbishop Evan then said, "Among the Chinese, the city of San Francisco in California is called Golden Mountain."

"Although Jinshan is not the official name of San Francisco, that's what Chinese people call it."

"Over time, not only the Chinese, but also the whites and Native Americans began to call the city Gold Mountain."

"And that Chinese governor did indeed rise step by step through gold mining to become a top tycoon."

"Now, under that Chinese governor's name, there is the largest gold mine in the entire United States... if not the largest in the world."

Archbishop Evan carefully chose his words: "My suggestion is to use 'Gold Mountain' as the title, what do you think?"

"The Earl of Gold Mountain...!"

Antonelli pondered for a moment and said, "This title is indeed enough to demonstrate its prestige!"

"At the same time, it does not involve the specific territory of the United States, after all, it is just an unofficial city name."

"Moreover, it is also closely related to that Chinese governor, which is very fitting and appropriate...!"

With that, Antonelli smiled and turned his gaze to the College of Cardinals: "What are your opinions...?"

After some thought, the cardinals agreed that it was a good title and nodded in approval.

Seeing that no one objected, Antonelli slowly rose to his feet: "Now that we have reached an agreement, I will immediately report this title to the Papal Court..."

"If the Patriarch agrees, then it's settled...!"

As he spoke, Antonelli's gaze fell on Valentillo, the Minister of the Sacred Religion.

"Valentillo, the next step is the investiture ceremony!"

"Although it is only the conferment of a title of Earl, His Holiness the Pope will personally preside over the ceremony, which must be solemn and dignified, and there must be no mistakes!"

Chief Minister Valentillo quickly stood up: "Your Excellency, rest assured, there will be no problems."

“Hmm…!” Antonelli nodded. “Valentillo, I know you have a prejudice against that Chinese governor. However, our Vatican needs to maintain a good relationship with him.”

"So, put away all your little schemes for now, otherwise, if anything goes wrong, neither the Hereditary nor I will forgive you."

Valentillo's forehead was slightly sweaty: "Your Excellency, please rest assured, I will not bring my personal opinions into such an important ceremony."

"That's good!" After a brief warning, Antonelli added, "The Ministry of Rites should select a suitable day in the next few days and hold the conferment ceremony as soon as possible."

"Of course, Your Excellency!"

The meeting only came to an end after Secretary of State Antonelli left and personally reported the results of the discussions to the Pope.

Archbishop Evan's gaze was also fixed on the Chief Minister of Valentillo.

Archbishop Even knew little about Cardinal Valentillo.

Archbishop Even was quite curious as to why he harbored such deep prejudice against the Chinese.

Archbishop Evan was just about to think of a way to find out what Cardinal Valentillo was up to when, unexpectedly, the cardinal and chief minister walked directly toward him.

“Archbishop Evan…!” Valentillo said expressionlessly, “Could you accompany me for a walk…?”

"Lord Valentino, it is my honor!"

"Um……!"

Valentillo, his face grim, led the way out of the Apostolic Palace. Archbishop Even followed closely behind, half a step behind.

In the small square in front of the Apostolic Palace, Valentillo said, "Evan, I heard that your niece is that Chinese man's fiancée?"

“Yes…!” Archbishop Evan’s heart skipped a beat. This cardinal seemed to know quite a bit about Azu’s affairs!
"Heh...!" Valentino turned his head slightly, glanced at Archbishop Evan, and sneered, "Evan, you're really willing to go to such lengths to curry favor with that Chinese guy!"

"What...?" Archbishop Evan was slightly taken aback before realizing what he meant and quickly explained, "Lord Valentillo, things aren't as you think...!"

“What happened doesn’t matter…!” Valentino waved his hand and said coldly, “The fact is, without that Chinese guy’s support, you wouldn’t have been able to hold onto your position as Bishop of the Bay Area, let alone be promoted to Archbishop of California…!”

Valentillo continued, "The whole of California, including the Bay Area, is a rich land, especially after the discovery of gold three years ago."

“Evan, you’re very lucky! When you were transferred to the Bay Area as bishop, it was still a remote and impoverished place.”

"And shortly after your transfer, a large amount of gold was discovered there. As a result, the Bay Area suddenly became one of the wealthiest dioceses in the entire Holy See...!"

As he spoke, Valentillo glanced back at Archbishop Evan with a scrutinizing look: "Evan, do you know that the positions of Bishop of the Bay Area and Archbishop of California should not have belonged to you in the first place?"

Archbishop Evan finally understood something: "Lord Valentillo means...?"

"Heh heh...!" Valentino sneered, "Before you are promoted to archbishop, the appointment letter for you to be transferred to Argentina in South America as the bishop of Buenos Aires has already been written...!"

"Of course, there were also appointment letters for the new bishop of the Bay Area and the new archbishop of California...!"

"But you, with the support of that Chinaman, suddenly rose to prominence with penicillin and ruined all of that."

Valentino's tone was calm, but the resentment in his voice was barely contained.

At this moment, Archbishop Evan finally understood everything!
"Lord Valentillo, let me guess, are any of your people among the new Bay Area Bishop and the new California Archbishop?"

Valentillo gave Archbishop Evan another cold glance: "That's someone nominated by our College of Cardinals. What do you mean by 'my person'?"

Archbishop Evan smiled slightly: "Lord Valentillo, there's no one else here, so let's be frank. You might as well speak plainly: the governor and I have blocked your path and cut off your source of income, is that right?"

"Hmph...!" Valentino grunted. "You're not just blocking my way, you're blocking the way of many people!"

“Evan, now that you are the Archbishop of California, you’ve gained favor with the Apostolic Nuncio and the Secretary of State within the Vatican through penicillin.” “Don’t think that just because of that, the College of Cardinals can’t do anything to you!”

"Removing you, this stumbling block, isn't as difficult as you might think."

Archbishop Evan raised a thick eyebrow, about to say something, but was interrupted by Valentillo: "Evan, after you are promoted to archbishop, the position of bishop of the Bay Area will be vacant...!"

As he spoke, Valentillo once again focused his gaze on Archbishop Evan's face: "I know that you have your people temporarily acting as the Bishop of the Bay Area. You want to promote your people to the position of Bishop of the Bay Area and continue to control the enormous wealth of this diocese."

"However, you should know the importance of knowing when to stop!"

Valentino's voice was somber as he cut to the chase: "Evan, you should at least give up your position as Bishop of the Bay Area!!!"

"If you're willing to compromise, we can guarantee you a secure and comfortable position as the Archbishop of California!"

"Including that Chinese governor, if he is willing to relinquish some of his interests, we will also guarantee that he will continue to receive the friendship and support of the Vatican."

Archbishop Evan listened silently and finally understood the purpose of some people, including Valentillo and at least some members of the College of Cardinals.

After a moment of contemplation, Archbishop Evan replied in a deep voice, "Lord Valentillo, I will consider your proposal!"

"I will give you an answer before I leave Rome!"

"Hehe...!" Only then did Valentino's face show the warm smile that a high-ranking clergyman should have.

Valentillo patted Archbishop Evan's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Evan, I have some more really good news for you...!"

"what news?"

Valentillo said in a low voice, "Cardinal John Hughes of America, old and ailing, is applying to be transferred back to Rome to retire."

"Oh...!" Archbishop Evan was a little confused and said, "What kind of good news is this for me?"

"Heh heh!" Valentillo chuckled. "The Vatican is considering John Hughes' successor, and you, Evan, are on the shortlist...!"

“Me…?” Archbishop Evan was taken aback. “But I was only promoted to archbishop less than a year ago… How is this possible?!”

"Don't be modest, Evan. Thanks to penicillin, you are now the fastest rising star in the entire Vatican."

"Plus the earldom title you just came up with for that Chinese guy, it's sure to win over the Patriarch and the Secretary of State...!"

"If you also receive strong support from our College of Cardinals, your chances will be quite good...!"

Archbishop Evan was now completely speechless.

Cardinal Valentillo, who is also the Principality of the Congregation for Sacraments, is at least the third or fourth most powerful figure within the Vatican, and one of the unofficial leaders within the College of Cardinals.

In the Qing Dynasty, Valentillo's position would be equivalent to a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, a Grand Councilor of the Military Affairs Office, and concurrently the Minister of Rites.

Despite Valentillo's subservient demeanor in front of the Apostolic Deacon and the Secretary of State, he remains humble and deferential.

But within the entire Papacy, Valentino holds an absolutely high position of power!
It must be said that Archbishop Evan was truly tempted by Valentillo's persuasion.

"Lord Valentino, I will seriously consider your proposal...!"

……

After leaving the Papal Palace, Archbishop Even returned to his hotel and eagerly recounted everything that had just happened without reservation.

After hearing this, a smile couldn't help but appear on Azu's face: "Trading a mere Bay Area bishop's position for an American cardinal—this deal is absolutely amazing!!!"

Azu laughed and said, "Archbishop, my dear Uncle Evan, that's exactly what you think, isn't it?"

Archbishop Evan smiled wryly and nodded slightly: "To be honest, Azu, I do have this idea!"

"Could something this cheap really be possible?" Azu said, "We Chinese have an old saying: 'When things are abnormal, something sinister must be involved!'"

"Although I don't understand what Cardinal Valentillo is up to, there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Upon hearing Azu's words, Archbishop Evan pondered for a moment and found them quite reasonable.

"Azu, so you mean to reject them?"

Azu shook his head slightly: "Don't rush to refuse. After the investiture ceremony, I will find an opportunity to speak privately with His Holiness the Pope and Secretary of State Antonelli."

"These two are the ones who truly have the authority to make decisions!"

"That so-called College of Cardinals is, at best, the secretariat and advisory body of His Holiness the Pope."

"Their role is not as important as they claim."

"Even if you give them the position of Bishop of the Bay Area, what can you do if you can't be promoted to Cardinal?"

Azu said, "Heh, you want me to cede benefits... Even if I were to cede them, I would give them to the Pope, to the entire Papacy. And this Valentino, what is he?"

“My Uncle Evan, don’t worry!” Azu laughed, “Even without the help of the College of Cardinals, I’m determined to get you that position of Cardinal of America!”

"Gurgle...Cardinal...!"

Archbishop Evan never imagined he would actually have the chance to wear that coveted red robe!
In the following days, Azu indeed took several women and strolled around Rome.

The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia, the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Spanish Steps, and the Campo de' Fiori...!
After visiting a few historical sites, the girls lost interest and instead asked Ah Zu to accompany them shopping.

In terms of current prosperity and extravagance, the emerging San Francisco is still far from matching that of a classical European metropolis like Rome.

Forced to go shopping with the girls, Ah Zu became a human ATM.

The girls are in charge of buying everything, while I'm only responsible for paying for it!

After a few days of wandering around, Azu felt that it was more tiring than fighting a war or delivering grain taxes.

It's mainly mentally exhausting...!
The girls, however, became increasingly excited and addicted to shopping. They transformed into shopaholics, almost forgetting why they had come to Europe in the first place!

Fortunately, the imperial decree ceremony rescued Azu from this torturous rhythm.

……

July 22, 1851, the Feast Day of the Virgin Mary, St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

The ceremony, personally presided over by Pope Pius IX, to confer upon Azu the title of "Count of the Gold Mountain" was officially held in the sacred St. Peter's Basilica!

The day before, to be on the safe side, Ah Zu even personally attended the rehearsal to familiarize himself with the various rituals, so as not to make a fool of himself during the official ceremony.

The ceremony is mainly divided into three parts.

The first part consists of a symbolic oath, a clasped hands salute, and a kiss on the cheek.

The second part is the bestowal of titles with a sacred sword, which is familiar to everyone. The sacred sword is used to pat each shoulder three times.

The third step is the conferment of the papacy. The papacy is made of silver and is engraved with Pope Pius IX's name, title, and rank, as well as his signature, which was handwritten by Pope Pius IX and engraved by a special person, and the papal seal of Pope Pius IX, which was etched on using a secret method.

Earls and marquesses were granted silver titles. Viscounts and barons, on the other hand, were granted bronze titles, while lower ranks such as knights, knights, and lords were granted only parchment scrolls.

For dukes or even princes, the title would be an even more prestigious gold book.

At the same time, Pope Pius IX personally pinned the Grand Cross of St. Gregory on Azu's chest.

……

After this entire ceremony was completed, Azu was personally bestowed the title by the Pope, a genuine and authentic old European nobleman!
Although this nobleman did not own any land, nor was his position hereditary.

But wherever he went, everyone had to address him respectfully as "Your Excellency, Earl...!"

From this moment on, I have finally become the true "My lord...!"

For Azu himself, the greatest use of this identity was to deal with those arrogant guys from old Europe!
(End of this chapter)