North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 205 The Ohara Family

Because he needed to make some arrangements in the Isthmus of Panama, Azu stayed in Washington for a few more days.

Just these past few days, Azu received a letter from the Vatican.

This letter was written by Antonelli, Secretary of State of the Papal States.

After reading the letter, Azu slowly put it down.

Then he went directly to the White House and found a rather busy President Abraham Lincoln.

"Mr. President, I have just received a letter from the Vatican."

President Lincoln raised a thick eyebrow: "Oh...? What did the letter say?"

Azu replied truthfully, "The Vatican has agreed to allow Cardinal John of America to return to Rome to retire."

"The Archbishop of Evan, California, will temporarily assume the position of Cardinal of the United States."

President Lincoln smiled and said, "This is absolutely good news for us."

"Archbishop Evan's niece is your fiancée, so she's definitely one of our own."

"If he were to act as the Acting Cardinal of America, leveraging the Church's influence, it would undoubtedly be a significant boost to our election next year."

Azu nodded: "Yes! Archbishop Evan will do everything in his power to help you in the election."

"Also, Speaker Roberts and I have reached a deal...!"

"What deal?"

So, Azu told him the truth about the deal he had made with Speaker Roberts a few days earlier.

After hearing what Azu said, Lincoln's smile gradually disappeared: "Lee, do you mean that we are purging the Freemasons for Roberts?"

"And as a condition of the deal, he will do his best to put forward a political rookie and weakling from within the Democratic Party to participate in next year's presidential election?"

“That’s right!” Azu replied, “In this way, Mr. President, your chances of winning next year’s election will increase even further.”

Lincoln pondered for a moment before saying, "Lee, to be honest, I don't like these kinds of shady political deals."

"To me, doing this is undoubtedly treating politics as a dirty bargaining chip."

"Doing this will cause politics to lose its sanctity...!"

Azu calmly interrupted him: "Mr. President, do you really still believe that politics is sacred?"

“This…!” Abraham Lincoln wanted to refute, but when he opened his mouth, he was speechless and could not find any words to argue.

Azu said in a deep voice, “Mr. President, politics can be complex, heavy, cruel, dirty, dark, and serious... but it has never been, and will never be, sacred!”

"If you truly regard politics as sacred, you will never become a qualified politician!"

Abraham Lincoln was rendered speechless by Azu's words.

After a long pause, Lincoln finally nodded and admitted, "I'm sorry, Lee, I misspoke!"

"It should be said that political goals can be sacred."

"But the means used to achieve political goals can never be sacred."

Lincoln said, "Next, I will speak directly with Speaker Roberts to ensure that this dirty political deal is implemented and that we gain a greater advantage in next year's election."

"Hehe!" Azu laughed, "Mr. President, you're right to think that way."

"In order to achieve sacred political goals, we are fully capable of resorting to some dirty and underhanded means."

Lincoln added, "But in any case, we cannot cross the legal bottom line!"

"Otherwise, we will be no different from the Freemasons who were completely out of control before."

“Of course!” Azu nodded happily.

Then, Azu changed the subject and said, "Next year, if Archbishop Evan does not make any mistakes during his acting as cardinal, he will be promoted to cardinal smoothly."

"And our His Holiness Pius IX wishes to attend in person to crown Archbishop Even!"

“What…?” Abraham Lincoln exclaimed in surprise, “Does His Holiness the Pope mean that he hopes to take this opportunity to visit America?”

“Yes!” Azu nodded and said, “In Secretary of State Antonelli’s letter, although it was not explicitly stated, it was implied that he hoped the American government would take the initiative to invite His Holiness the Pope to visit the United States.”

Lincoln's thick eyebrows furrowed involuntarily again: "A visit to America? What exactly is His Holiness the Pope up to?"

"What else could it be? It's just an attempt to expand the Vatican's influence in America."

“Hmm…!” Lincoln nodded in deep agreement: “Lee, what do you think?”

Azu laughed and said, "Don't ask me about this. I am a count personally appointed by His Holiness the Pope, so of course I will speak up for him."

"But whether or not we need to take the initiative to invite His Holiness the Pope is entirely up to you, Mr. President."

Lincoln frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "If His Holiness the Pope could stand on our side, it might have an unexpectedly positive effect on our election...!"

Azu said, "I will personally write to ensure that His Holiness the Pope will stand on our side, speak out for abolitionism, and campaign for our election."

In this era where almost everyone is religious, the Church's influence, while not comparable to that of the Middle Ages, still wields considerable power among its millions of believers.

If His Holiness the Pope could stand on the side of abolitionism and campaign for Lincoln, that would undoubtedly be another great piece of good news.

Abraham Lincoln's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and he smiled, "In that case, I really can't find a reason not to invite the Pope to visit."

Lincoln changed the subject and said with a smile, "Li, I thought your trip to Europe was for two reasons: tourism and promoting business interests."

"I never expected that you would actually bring us such a powerful ally as His Holiness the Pope."

"If you were born in America, even I would be no match for you."

"You will definitely become the youngest and most outstanding president in American history...!"

"Haha!" Azu laughed heartily, "Mr. President, you're joking again!"

"Is being president really that easy?"

"Look at you, in just six months, your full head of black hair has turned completely white."

"There are so many more wrinkles on my forehead, I look at least ten years older!"

"There are just too many things to think about and worry about when you're president."

"Whoever wants to be president can be president, but I will never be one...!"

Abraham Lincoln couldn't help but stroke his full head of white hair: "Ah, you're right, being president is really not a job for humans...!"

……

After chatting for a while, Azu took his leave and returned to the California office, where he personally wrote a reply to Secretary of State Antonelli of the Papal States.

In this letter, Azu did not explicitly ask His Holiness the Pope to stand on the side of abolitionism and help Lincoln in his election campaign.

But the same clear message is conveyed in both the words and the implied meaning.

If the Pope is willing to campaign for Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. government would be quite happy to invite His Holiness the Pope to visit the United States in person.

After sending the letter, and once the arrangements for the Isthmus of Panama were largely completed, Azu continued his journey home.

At Baltimore Harbor, Azu met Robert E. Lee, who was leading his family and waiting early aboard the Zhiyuan.

“Governor, I have resigned from my post in the U.S. Army. From now on, my family and I are members of California!”

Facing the ramrod straight Robert Lee, Azu patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Lieutenant Colonel... no, from now on, you are a colonel in the California National Guard, and also the principal of the California National Guard School!"

"Including the salary I previously promised, I will provide you with the best working and living conditions."

"Just tell me what you need!"

"Whether it's funding, personnel, resources, or anything else, I will do my best to satisfy you!"

"My only requirement is to build the California National Guard School into a world-class military academy in the shortest possible time!"

"Snap...!" Robert E. Lee snapped to attention: "Governor, I will do my utmost!"

……

As the Zhiyuan and Dingyuan, billowing black smoke, slowly departed Baltimore Harbor, a California National Guard of over a hundred men, personally led by Harley, also boarded a Huamei Company merchant ship and left San Francisco almost simultaneously. This small team, personally led by Deputy Brigade Commander Harley, consisted entirely of carefully selected white men, all dressed in ordinary civilian clothing.

This time, they were on a secret mission, and apart from a few people, no one knew their purpose.

Feng Zicai, the brigade commander of the 1st National Guard Brigade, also changed into ordinary civilian clothes and personally escorted the team onto the ship.

Watching the merchant ship slowly leave the port, Feng Zicai couldn't help but turn to Edgar Allan Poe beside him and ask, "Mr. Poe, what is the boss planning this time?"

"Arranging for our own people to 'ambush' him—there's no boss in the world more unpredictable than ours."

Edgar Allan Poe smiled and said, "Commander Feng, you probably don't understand how determined our BOSS is to take over the Isthmus of Panama!"

"If you knew his purpose, you wouldn't have asked that question."

"You mean...!" Feng Zicai raised an eyebrow: "The boss wants to take this opportunity to start... a war?"

“Yes!” Edgar Allan Poe said, “Although our BOSS has not returned yet, we should prepare in advance!”

"What preparations should we make?" Feng Zicai asked curiously.

"Of course, we should prepare for war!" Edgar Allan Poe patted Feng Zicai's broad, sturdy shoulder. "Once our BOSS returns, he will be eager to declare war on the New Grenada Republic, which possesses the Isthmus of Panama!"

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Feng Zicai immediately perked up.

Having been in America for almost two years and serving as the brigade commander of the 1st National Guard Brigade for almost a year, Feng Zicai has yet to fight a truly significant battle.

Even Shi Dakai, who arrived a few months later than him, had at least fought a battle against the American Army led by George Phillips.

He has not made any significant contributions, yet he still holds such a high position.

Even during the six months his boss was away, he took on the heavy responsibility of the entire National Guard.

This clearly demonstrates the boss's absolute trust in him.

But all of this made Feng Zicai feel deeply ashamed.

He was eager to prove himself through military achievements.

So when he heard there was a battle going to be fought, he immediately became excited.

Seeing his impatient look, Edgar Allan Poe's smile widened: "Don't worry, there will be plenty of battles to fight in the future!"

"Little California is far from satisfying our BOSS's appetite...!"
-
The small fleet consisting of the Zhiyuan and Dingyuan sailed along the eastern coastline of the United States.

When they arrived in the waters off Georgia, Azu specifically ordered that they stop there for a period of time.

Not for any other reason than for the vast land that Ah Zu had just acquired in Georgia.

Georgia is located in the southeastern United States, bordering Florida, the southernmost state in the country.

Georgia is also the second largest producer of high-quality cotton in the United States.

Among the $5 million in assets the Freemasons compensated them for were vast cotton fields in Georgia.

As luck would have it, this included the tens of thousands of acres of cotton fields owned by the O'Hara family.

Huamei Company's demand for high-quality cotton is increasing.

Therefore, Azu gladly accepted the cotton fields that originally belonged to the Freemasons.

Because of that famous novel from later generations, Azu was very interested and prepared to see for himself this property that had just come under his family's control.

In Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, Azu received a warm welcome from the O'Hara family.

As one of the most prominent families in Georgia, the O'Hara family nominally owns tens of thousands of acres of fertile cotton fields.

But this is only on the surface; the true owners of these high-quality cotton fields are the Freemasons.

The O'Hara family merely held the Freemasons' property on their behalf and managed the vast cotton fields for them.

Now, this vast estate has changed hands overnight, and the O'Hara family naturally wants to express their loyalty and respect to their new master, whom they have never met.

“Your Excellency, I am Gerald O'Hara of the O'Hara family, and this is my wife, Ellen…!”

On behalf of the O'Hara family, I warmly welcome you!

As he spoke, Gerald O'Hara pulled out a large bunch of heavy keys from his pocket and respectfully presented them to Azu with both hands.

“Your Excellency, these are the keys to all of the Ohara family’s properties… They once belonged to the Freemasons, and now they should belong to you…!”

Ah Zu glanced at the large bunch of keys.

These keys represent ownership, signifying that from this moment forward, I am the true owner of this vast estate.

Azu didn't take the key, but smiled slightly: "Gerald, I know you're also a senior Freemason, right?"

Gerald nodded slightly: "Yes, Your Excellency!"

"Under the arrangement of the Freemasons, I once acquired this large property through gambling, using this covert method."

"But in reality, I only inherited the right to hold and operate this property from the previous nominee shareholder."

Gerald O'Hara, whose name appears in "Gone with the Wind," did indeed acquire this property through gambling.

But no one expected that there was an even deeper reason behind it.

Azu smiled and said, "Your O'Hara family once even opened a cotton trading company in my California, didn't you?"

“Yes!” Gerald O’Hara was sweating.

Azu then asked, "And what about that beautiful Miss Susan O'Hara? We've met her a few times, but what was her brother's name again...?"

"Tony...!"

"Yes, Tony O'Hara, and the beautiful Miss Susan, have disappeared without a trace."

"Where is Miss Susan now? I can't wait to see her again... She is such a beautiful woman, she has left a very deep impression on me!"

“This…!” Gerald O’Hara’s forehead was covered in cold sweat. “Our family does have a Susan O’Hara, but… she shouldn’t be the beautiful lady that the Earl knows…!”

"Oh...?" Azu asked with great interest, "Why?"

Gerald O'Hara was completely unaware of the arrangements made by the Freemasons' leadership.

All he knew was that his family members, Susan O'Hara and Tony O'Hara, were replaced one day.

As a result, Susan and Tony disappeared completely.

The imposters, Susan and Tony, lived with the family for a few days before being sent to California to open a cotton trading company.

As for the reason, Gerald dared not ask, nor could he ask.

Now, faced with Ah Zu's persistent questioning, he really couldn't give a proper answer.

Gerald could only guess that the imposters "Susan" and "Tony" must have been sent to San Francisco to deal with the governor and earl in front of him.

But how could he dare to say such a thing?

Gerald could only stammer, "Your Excellency, I'm so sorry, Susan and Tony have both mysteriously disappeared. Our family is also searching for them...!"

"Sigh...!" Azu waved his hand listlessly: "What a pity... I came here this time hoping to catch up with the incomparably beautiful Miss Susan!"

In Baltimore, Azu and "Susan" had already had a good "catch-up".

That night's deep "reminiscing" went so far that every inch of skin and every hair was clearly visible.

However, Ah Zu can only pretend to be stupid now and cannot reveal the fact that he has already seen through "Susan's" true colors.

Azu changed the subject: "Gerald, I heard from Susan that you have a lovely little daughter, Scarlett. Where is she?"

“Scarlett…?” Gerald was startled and stammered, “Your Excellency, Scarlett is only six years old… She, she’s still so young…!”

Gerald was so nervous because his intuition told him that this smiling count might, possibly, have some strange hobby...!
He could dedicate his loyalty, his talent, and everything he had to his new master... but this would absolutely not include his most beloved daughter!
Azu didn't explain much to the nervous Gerald, but simply smiled and said...

"Let's go, I want to see this rich and vast land with my own eyes."

"Hmm...and that lovely little Miss Scarlett...!"

(End of this chapter)