North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 301 The Vatican Treasury
In the papal private dining room at the Apostolic Palace, Azu met with the Duke and Duchess Joseph, whom he had not seen for a long time.

This time, Duke Joseph and his wife accompanied the King of Bavaria to the coronation of the new Pope.

King Maximilian II of Bavaria was certainly aware of the special relationship between Azu and the new Pope, and equally aware of the special relationship between Duke Joseph's family and Azu.

Therefore, through a series of twists and turns, the Kingdom of Bavaria, represented by Maximilian II, also became entangled in a special relationship with the new crown prince.

This is precisely why Maximilian II personally attended the coronation ceremony of the new pope.

This is also why the Duke of Joseph and his family appeared in the Vatican.

When Evan… no, now His Majesty John Paul I, accompanied by Azu and his entourage, appeared at the small private restaurant, the Duke and Duchess Joseph, being devout Christians, immediately knelt down on one knee with utmost respect and kissed John Paul I’s unique “fisherman’s ring.”

After Joseph and his wife finished their ceremony, John Paul I personally helped them up, smiling warmly and kindly: "Duke Joseph, we are practically family. In such private settings, there's no need for such elaborate formalities in the future!"

If you look closely, John Paul I and Duke Joseph were both from the maternal relatives of Azu's wife, so it doesn't seem wrong to say they were family.

"Hahaha...!" Duke Joseph, who was always cheerful and unrestrained, was about to burst into his signature laughter when his wife nudged him in the ribs from behind.

He quickly coughed twice and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, etiquette must not be disregarded no matter what."

As he spoke, Duke Joseph's gaze fell on Azu, who was standing behind His Majesty.

"Long time no see, my dear Earl of Gold Mountain...!"

"It has indeed been a long time, dear Duke...!"

Amidst hearty laughter, the two naturally gave each other a tight, firm hug.

Duke Joseph asked, "My little Sissi, why didn't she come back this time? I've missed her so much for two years!"

Ah Zu shrugged helplessly: "I was determined to bring her, but she resolutely refused to come."

"Why?" Duke and Duchess Joseph asked, puzzled. "Doesn't she miss us?"

“Of course she misses me terribly!” Azu replied, “But she’s even more afraid that you’ll take her back and forbid her from staying by my side anymore…!”

"Alas...!" Duke Joseph sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow: "It's true what they say, daughters grow up and leave home; it's become so difficult to see my little Sisi again!"

Azu laughed and said, "Sissi refuses to return to Europe, but the Duke's family, you can certainly come and stay permanently in my California!"

Upon hearing this, Duke Joseph's heart leaped with excitement: "Can we?"

"Of course, you're most welcome!"

Duke Joseph was about to agree immediately, but the Duchess nudged him in the ribs.

"Ahem, hehe... Let's talk about this later, later!"

After everyone was seated, John Paul I raised his glass high and smiled, saying, "Being able to reunite with my family in the Vatican is the happiest thing for me!"

Cheers to today's reunion!

"cheers……!"

The crystal wine glasses of everyone clashed heavily together.

The Vatican's top-level banquets are naturally of exceptional quality in terms of both ingredients and taste.

The only problem is that the menu is too limited.

The Vatican has so many rules, with restrictions on what you can and cannot eat or drink, which naturally makes the banquets seem monotonous.

After the private banquet ended, everyone returned to the Pope's private study.

Previously, we discussed important matters, but now it's just casual conversation after the meal.

Duke Joseph asked, "My little Sissi, how is she doing in California? Is she happy?"

Ah Zu smiled and nodded: "No one is happier than her!"

"In the past two years, my wives have given birth to several children for me."

"Sisi loves children very much. She's a real queen of kids now, always playing with them all the time."

"My little brats have been disciplined by her quite a bit... but now they're all very obedient and well-behaved!"

Ah Zu has six children, two boys and four girls. The oldest is already two years old, and the youngest is almost one year old.

Moreover, Fu Shanxiang and Daisy are pregnant with their second child, and will have two more babies before the end of the year.

Upon hearing Azu's words, Joseph couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Duchess Joseph, however, looked worried: "Nene is already married and pregnant with the Austrian prince."

“My daughter, Sisi, is almost nineteen, but she still acts like a child… Earl, I think it’s time to give Sisi and our family an explanation, isn’t it?!”

The implication from this prospective mother-in-law is quite clear: she's pressuring her to get married!

Ah Zu said solemnly, "I said that on our wedding day, I would make Qianqian the happiest woman in the world, and I would give her the most enviable wedding in the world."

"Although I have enough wealth to do this, my current status is still a little short."

"Sisi must marry me; she can't be any less than her sister!"

The Duchess stared at Azu in shock: "Nene married the Austrian Emperor. If you're not inferior to Nene, then you mean you also want to become one...!"

Azu nodded slightly: "Yes! Everything is going according to plan."

"I will take over the American West by the end of this year."

"Next year, I will fight my way back to my homeland and reclaim China."

"At that time, I will establish a brand new country, an unprecedented empire!"

Azu didn't continue, but changed the subject: "I will ascend the throne by the end of next year at the latest... and the wedding date with Qianqian will be set after my ascension. What do you all think?!"

Joseph and his wife exchanged a shocked glance: "This...this can really happen? An unprecedented empire spanning the Pacific Ocean?!"

“Facts will prove everything!” Azu smiled and said, “All we need to do today is set a wedding date.”

After Joseph and his wife calmed down a bit, they finally agreed on a wedding date, which was set for December 24, 1857.

This day marked Sisi's twentieth birthday and was also the day before Christmas, making it a day of great significance.

Once the wedding date was set, John Paul I announced with a smile, "I will personally officiate at this wedding of the century!"

“Your Majesty…this is truly an unparalleled and supreme honor!!!” Joseph and his wife replied in trembling voices.

In the long history of the Papacy, spanning one or two thousand years, the number of weddings personally officiated by His Holiness the Pope is extremely limited.

There are only three historically verifiable weddings presided over by the Pope himself. And each one has extremely significant historical importance.

John Paul I smiled very gently and kindly: "Unfortunately, Lee was not a Christian, and I did not have the honor of personally crowning him!"

“Otherwise, no matter where he ascends the throne, I will personally go to his door and place the crown on his head! This would be more honorable and meaningful than my own coronation!”

Azu smiled and shook his head: "Uncle Evan, in the new country I'm building, Christians will only be a minority."

“We are family. Although I don’t mind you putting a crown on my head, objective reality will not allow it.”

“Alright!” John Paul I shrugged. “I understand your concerns, of course, but I will attend your coronation ceremony and witness it all in person. Is that alright?”

"Haha, of course, no problem at all! I couldn't be happier!"

……

Three days later, the Vatican held a very grand coronation ceremony for the new pope.

From that day forward, Evan… no, John Paul I became the spiritual leader of the entire Western world.

At the same time, he also became the supreme leader of the Papal States.

From that day on, the Western spiritual world entered a completely new era.

It's just that at this point in time, very few people are aware of this.

More than half of the world's countries sent high-level delegations to participate in and witness this grand coronation ceremony.

Especially the old European countries, all of them were present, not one was absent!

Even Eastern European countries that adhere to Orthodox Christianity sent delegations.

After the coronation ceremony, John Paul I, during a cordial meeting with delegations from various countries, as agreed with Azu, directly demanded the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in front of the Ottoman representatives.

As expected, this aroused great dissatisfaction among the representatives of Tsarist Russia and the Ottoman Empire, who stormed out in anger.

One can imagine the fury their respective emperors felt when they heard the new pope's attitude toward the ownership of the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

When various countries urged the new pope to intervene in the Crimean War and mediate between the two sides, John Paul I simply smiled and remained noncommittal.

Remaining silent is itself a stance.

This shows that John Paul I, who had just been crowned, had absolutely no interest in intervening in or mediating the Crimean War.

……

After the long and solemn coronation ceremony concluded, as expected, representatives from Britain, France, and other countries formed a group and sought out Azu.

"Your Excellency Earl of Goldberg, I believe you have already learned of the attitudes of various countries towards your provision of weapons, ammunition and important materials to Tsarist Russia during the previous negotiations."

The English representative took the lead, saying, "So much time has passed since the last negotiation. I wonder if your attitude has changed at all?"

"If you continue to be tough, then countries will have no choice but to impose trade sanctions on California!"

"In particular, we believe that His Excellency has made unimaginable profits from the cotton trade between California and Europe over the past three years."

“If our countries join forces to ban cotton shipped from California from being traded on the European market, Your Excellency’s losses will be enormous.”

Since the start of the Civil War in 1853, the cotton trade grew rapidly over three years, bringing Azu a fortune of at least two billion dollars.

Faced with threats from various countries, Azu smiled calmly: "I believe you have already received a positive response from His Majesty."

“Your Majesty is my brother-in-law. In order to gain the support of various countries, I can make certain concessions on this matter.”

The French representative pressed further, "Your Excellency, what exactly are the terms of the exchange you have proposed?"

Azu replied, “Your Majesty is a talented, ambitious, and idealistic representative of God. After his coronation, he will launch a series of reforms for the Papal States and the Holy See.”

"If you want me to stop supplying weapons and supplies to Tsarist Russia, then without harming the interests of any country, I demand that all countries support Your Majesty's reform measures and refrain from interfering with or meddling in Your Majesty's reforms."

The representatives from the various countries, surprised, asked in unison, "That's it?"

Azu continued, "There's another point: the gold dollar issued by California has become the legal tender of California, and it has also become one of the important currencies in the western states of the United States, as well as in provinces such as Guangdong in China."

"I demand that European countries accept the gold dollar as one of their currencies of exchange, and obtain official endorsement!"

The representatives from the various countries exchanged glances again, their eyes revealing barely suppressed surprise.

It wasn't because the count's demands were too high, but rather because his asking price was too low!
This is no longer the era in which the United States uses its dollar hegemony to recklessly print dollars and exploit the world.

With a one-to-one exchange rate between gold dollars and gold, the status of gold dollars as legal tender was recognized, and their circulation in various countries was permitted, so that no country would suffer any loss.

After all, the gold dollar represents real gold and silver, and recognizing its status as official currency would actually be quite beneficial to foreign trade between countries.

As for the reforms of the Papal States and the Holy See, no country believes that they will cause any major upheavals.

With all nations currently embroiled in the Crimean War, they are powerless to intervene in the internal affairs of the Papacy, even if they wish to.

Are there any other conditions?

Azu continued, "Except for France, I want to sign most-favored-nation agreements with all other countries."

Prior to this, California and France had already signed a Most Favored Nation (MFN) agreement. This time, Azu wants to take the opportunity to sign similar MFN treaties with other countries.

"Any more?"

Azu shook his head slightly: "That's all! As long as these conditions are met, I can immediately cut off the supply of weapons and materials to Tsarist Russia."

“Your Excellency, we need to discuss your request with the authorities and it will take some time before we can give you a response.”

Azu nodded: "Okay, I can wait! But I can't wait for that war that has lasted for almost three years...!"

……

A week after John Paul I's coronation, His Majesty personally performed the ceremony to bestow upon Azu the title of "Grand Duke of the Gold Mountain".

The original silver book of the count was replaced with the more prestigious gold book of the grand duke.

At the same time, His Majesty personally announced the formal establishment of the "Knights of the Holy See".

In addition to the thousand-strong guard originally dispatched by Azu, the six thousand marines who had just arrived in Rome were also incorporated into the "Knights of the Faith," becoming the sharpest sword in His Holiness the Pope's hands.

The Knights Defenders' force of seven thousand men is neither a large nor a small force.

If facing the great powers, these 7,000 troops would be far from enough.

But within the Papal States, this "Knights of the Defenders," possessing the most advanced weaponry, the most rigorous training, and the most sophisticated tactics of the time, was an invincible force, capable of sweeping away and suppressing all dissenting voices. With control of this "Knights of the Defenders," John Paul I became the most powerful pope in Vatican history since the Enlightenment!

none of them!

……

As for His Excellency Antonelli, unsurprisingly, he was dismissed from his post as Secretary of State the day after the new Pope's coronation.

In order to protect himself, Antonelli also kept his promise and handed over his private collection of treasures from over the years to Azu.

As for whether all of it was handed over, only Antonelli himself knows the answer.

Even so, the private collection of this long-serving Secretary of State is still eye-opening.

It is evident from his private collection that this Secretary of State has a particular fondness for Renaissance works.

In particular, the works of the "Three Masters of the Renaissance"—the paintings and sculptures of Leonardo da Vinci, the works of Michelangelo, and the works of Raphael—are numerous in Antonelli's private collection.

As Antonelli said, these works by artistic giants are priceless.

Whether in their own time or in later generations, each of these works by Renaissance masters is priceless.

It's unknown how long it took this Secretary of State, or how many methods he used, to amass so many priceless works of art.

According to Antonelli's own assessment, these precious products given to Azu would be worth at least tens of millions of pounds, or at least fifty million US dollars, if they were auctioned on the market.

If another one or two hundred years pass, each of these treasures will probably be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

For example, Azu felt that one of Leonardo da Vinci's works looked particularly familiar, "Salvator Mundi," which later fetched a record price of $4.5 million at auction.

This painting was completed around 1500, originally commissioned by King Louis XII of France.

It was once part of the collection of King Charles I of Great Britain, and with the accession of Charles II, the painting passed into his possession.

Charles II then passed it on to the Duke of Buckingham, whose son sold it in 1763, after which the painting disappeared without a trace.

The painting was not found again until 1900.

Unexpectedly, this painting had been in the private collection of Antonelli, the Secretary of State of the Papal States.

In addition to taking over these private collections, Antonelli also handed over the keys and location of the Vatican's secret vault to Azu.

Then, this former number two figure in the Papacy, accompanied only by two attendants, went alone to sub-Saharan Africa to preach.

……

Late that night, on the same day Antonelli left the Vatican, Azu, accompanied by a few guards, secretly went to the Vatican's vault as described by Antonelli, avoiding everyone's sight.

Now, all the guards in the Vatican have been replaced by the so-called "Knights of the Faith," who are all their own people.

Azu traveled unimpeded to the Sistine Chapel.

Opening the entrance to the hidden passage, one finds an ancient, dusty passage covered in cobwebs and thick layers of ash, untouched for countless years.

The winding secret passage descends dozens of meters underground, eventually leading to an inconspicuous bronze door.

With the copper key given to them by Antonelli, they finally managed to open the long-sealed, rusty bronze door.

Then, the vast Vatican vault, illuminated little by little by the torchlight, gradually came into Azu's view.

……

After taking a short walk around the secret vault, even the well-informed Azu was deeply shocked.

"This dog has joined the Vatican, it's just too rich...!"

Zhou Hongwen, who followed Azu into the secret vault, couldn't help but exclaim in utter shock, "Such a large treasure vault is simply unprecedented and unheard of!"

"During my six months in the Vatican, the wealth I displayed was already astonishing!"

"I never imagined that right beneath my feet lay an even more unimaginable treasure trove...!"

Faced with the shocked Zhou Hongwen, Azu still maintained basic rationality: "The Vatican has stood in the world for one or two thousand years. It is the longest-lasting, most stable, and largest organization in the world!"

"No country, empire, or dynasty, regardless of its duration, breadth of influence, or depth of control over Western society, can compare to the Vatican!"

"And in the past, the Vatican used every means possible to amass wealth!"

"Besides the well-known indulgences, the Vatican has also developed indulgence loans and bonds, financializing indulgences and raking in money like crazy!"

"Even now, indulgences remain widely used and are still one of the Vatican's tools for accumulating wealth."

"There was also the tithe, which was once practiced throughout Europe. Ten percent of the annual income of all believers went to the Papacy, and they even hired tax collection orders to collect it by force! Even in England, the tithe was not abolished until more than ten years ago in 1840!"

"The tithe was first levied during the Roman Empire and continued for over a thousand years. Can you imagine how much wealth the Papacy accumulated?!"

"There is also the crime of heresy. Anyone who is judged as a heretic by the religious court will have all their property confiscated. For example, the Knights Templar's nearly ten thousand manors, castles, lands, and endless wealth were all confiscated by the Papacy."

"And then there's the Doomsday Tax. Once a high-ranking clergyman dies, all their assets automatically go to the Holy See. You've seen how wealthy high-ranking clergymen like Antonelli... Over the past one or two thousand years, only God knows how many high-ranking clergymen's assets have been inherited...!"

"The Vatican also has countless subsidiaries all over the world, including banks, schools, hospitals, real estate, and mines... Not to mention, more than half of the real estate in our Bay Area used to belong to the Vatican!"

"In this world, if we're talking about wealth, who can compare to the Papacy?!"

Azu opened a huge wooden box and picked up the box full of ancient gold coins of various shapes and sizes, which were gleaming.

The ancient gold coins are of unknown origin, with no clear date of manufacture or date of minting by any particular king.

One by one, gold coins slipped from Azu's fingertips and fell into the wooden box with a clatter.

"This secret vault contains a small portion of the wealth accumulated by the entire Western world over the past one or two thousand years!"

“There is definitely more than one such Vatican vault. It is very likely that there are many more, even larger vaults, hidden even deeper and more concealed.”

Azu turned to look at the enormous vault and sighed, "These vaults buried deep underground are like the tombs of emperors throughout Chinese history. They plundered the people's wealth, but it all became meaningless burial goods!"

"The ultimate ownership of this wealth should be derived from the people and used for the people...!"

Zhou Hongwen sighed, "Boss, I finally understand now why you went through so much trouble to put Evan... no, I mean Your Majesty on the throne...!"

"If Your Majesty becomes the head of the Papacy, then all this endless wealth will essentially become ours!"

Ah Zu smiled and shook his head: "To be honest, this wasn't my main intention; it was just something I did on the side. Do you believe me?"

Zhou Hongwen shook his head: "Of course, I don't believe it...!"

"Haha!" Azu didn't explain, and ordered, "Old Zhou, arrange for reliable people to pack up this secret vault, move it empty, and transport it to our ship tonight."

"Understood, boss, I'll arrange it right away!"

Ah Zu added, "We must make thorough arrangements. We must not leak the information, nor allow our people to take advantage of the situation and line their own pockets!"

Azu pointed and said, "All of this wealth is for the benefit of our country and our people; not a single penny is superfluous!"

Zhou Hongwen nodded emphatically: "Boss, rest assured, I will only let the most reliable and trustworthy people handle this matter."

The wealth and treasures in the secret vault were so numerous that it was impossible to determine their specific value, let alone to catalog them one by one.

All the work can only be done after the goods are transported back, and then the statistics and evaluation can be carried out.

But after a quick mental assessment, Ah Zu realized that the wealth and fixed assets he had accumulated over seven or eight years of hard work were only a few billion dollars.

But the wealth of the Holy See piled up in this secret vault should be no less than what I have accumulated over the years.

……

For the next ten days or so, Azu met with envoys and representatives from various countries during the day and toured the Vatican and Rome.

At night, he personally supervised the emptying of this enormous treasure trove.

Even with a large number of people deployed, the secret operation to empty this treasure trove took many days.

When they arrived, Azu brought a fleet of more than ten large ships, filled with six thousand marines.

When they returned, the dozen or so large ships were already fully loaded with wealth and countless treasures.

This secret operation was kept from everyone except the newly appointed John Paul I.

"Uncle Evan, I emptied one of your treasure troves. You're not angry, are you?"

John Paul I, with his habitually gentle and benevolent smile, said, "Lee, I knew all along that your motives for placing me on this throne were impure!"

"You greedy fellow, it would be strange if you weren't tempted by the endless wealth that the Papacy has accumulated over the past one or two thousand years."

His Holiness waved his hand: "If you want to move it, then move it! For the past six months, I have also been studying the Vatican's unknown secret records. Many of these secret ancient books are only readable by me, the Pope."

“The Vatican’s secret vaults are not limited to one place, nor are they buried only in Rome and the Vatican.”

"Many churches, cemeteries, and holy sites around the world have secret vaults of varying sizes. And these are only those officially recorded by the Vatican."

"As for those without records, and those with records that have long been lost, we don't know exactly how many there are."

"As you said, this wealth should have been taken from the people and used for the people! It shouldn't have been buried underground so meaninglessly."

His Majesty continued, "I have decided to excavate these secret treasures as much as possible for the reform and development of the Papal States and the Holy See."

"Whether in the Pope's country or abroad, they are all God's children. What difference does it make where they are used? Li, if you need money besides this treasure trove, you can come to me. I can help you think of a way."

"However, that wouldn't be a free gift! I can offer you a low-interest or even interest-free loan, how about that?"

At this point, John Paul I smiled like an old fox.

"Uncle Evan, I never thought you'd gone astray too!"

"Hahaha!" John Paul I patted Azu heavily on the shoulder: "If you're in a position, you should naturally think from the perspective of that position, otherwise I wouldn't be able to hold this position."

"You are like that, and so am I, right?"

“That makes sense!” Azu replied.

John Paul I continued, "Once I sit in this position, the entire Papacy will be your biggest and best customer!"

"The Vatican needs penicillin, artemisinin, and all sorts of new and effective drugs from California, and the demand is enormous, to bring the gospel of cure to countless God's people suffering from illness."

“I’ve estimated that the Vatican purchases at least two to three hundred million dollars worth of medicines from California every year just from this item alone!”

"The Vatican will also purchase large quantities of fertilizer from California and promote it worldwide to increase food production and bring the good news of a bountiful harvest to God's people."

"The Vatican will also purchase weapons and equipment from California to arm the Knights of the Apostolic and mercenaries. Surely you won't keep subsidizing me?"

"Wherever the church's influence extends, I can also support California banks, businesses, and other institutions to expand all over the world...!"

As His Majesty listed the terms and conditions, Azu's smile gradually grew brighter.

The rich rewards that came from his tireless efforts in helping his Uncle Evan ascend to the papacy were finally beginning to show.

……

Having finished his business, it was time for Ah Zu to embark on his return journey.

Joseph and his wife saw them off in person.

Before parting, Azu held Duke Joseph's large hand and said, "Joseph, if possible, I hope your family can move to California to live permanently as soon as possible."

"Because what I'm about to do will inevitably touch the sore spot of the European powers!"

"At that time, I fear the great powers will do something to harm your family!"

"They might even use your family's safety to blackmail me...!"

Duke Joseph was greatly surprised upon hearing this: "Impossible! I am just a powerless nobleman..."

Azu said solemnly, "That's precisely why the great powers can control your family without any pressure!"

Although Duke Joseph was used to a leisurely life, he was by no means ignorant of politics.

Upon hearing what Ah Zu said, they had no choice but to take the matter seriously.

"Okay! Li, I understand!"

Duke Joseph, unusually serious, said, "Once I return to Posenhofen Castle, I'll pack up and immediately take my whole family to live permanently in California."

"But, as long as this doesn't annoy you... haha!"

Ah Zu laughed and said, "I couldn't be happier to have a friend like you staying here! I believe Qianqian will be very happy too."

"See you in California then...!"

Goodbye California...!

After Azu boarded the ship and left, Duke and Duchess Joseph watched the departing vessel for a long time without leaving.

(End of this chapter)