Ricci was very excited.
It had been more than three years. He had followed Xiao Ruxun for more than three years. Including the seven or eight years he had lived in China, he had wasted more than ten years in China. From an ambitious missionary in his prime to an old, cautious, and highly Chinese Western scholar, he had experienced too much.
Although his faith in God remained the same, he felt more than once that his physical strength could no longer support him to continue wasting time.
Before this mission, he even imagined that this would be his last mission. In any case, if he failed to achieve his goal this time, he would resign like Xiao Ruxun and return to his hometown to serve God. He would spend his remaining years in the arms of God and move towards the main point of his life.
He believed that he had never done anything shameful in his life. He lived for God wholeheartedly and dedicated himself to God. He believed that his every move was under the watch of God. After his death, he would ascend to the world of bliss.
But now, he did not plan to do so. He had completed the hellish mission of spreading Catholicism in the ancient and mysterious country of China. With his unremitting efforts and foresight, he was finally about to complete this very difficult mission. The long-cherished wish of the Roman Curia and the sorrowful wishes of countless missionaries would also be fulfilled in his hands. This kind of glory was irresistible to any devout believer.
He did not care what the Spanish government gained or lost, nor did he care how much the Roman Curia would benefit from it. At this moment, he only thought of God, the God who had given him the right guidance and redemption in life. Let God descend to the East and let God save the China civilians who were struggling in places he could not see.
He had saved many people and guided many people. Before he arrived in China, he was an excellent missionary, guiding people to believe in God and obtaining spiritual liberation. This was his duty and his belief. He was willing to give up his life for this belief.
In China, although he had never seen it with his own eyes, he believed that no matter how rich and powerful a country was, there must be a tragic world that was incompatible with the glorious world in the shadow of the country. He had heard from Xiao Ruxun that the happy residents of Myanmar were refugees who could not survive in the inland of Daming and chose to come to Myanmar to seek a way out.
Although China was powerful and rich, Ricci also believed in the existence of the oppressed class, just like the beggars in Genoa and the hopeless people struggling in the slums of Rome. There were too many tragedies in this world. All he could do was bring the glory of God to them. This was the only thing he could do.
He felt that as long as he could do it, it would be enough. Some high-ranking missionaries believed that the poor and lowly people were not worthy of believing in God, and that their faith would taint God. Ricci was furious about this. He believed that everyone was equal, that everyone was alive, and that everyone had the right to believe in God. Did it mean that believing in God depended on whether the other party had enough assets to support one's spending?!
He thought that the Catholic Church in Europe had undergone a dirty change that he did not want to see, so he chose to go to China, to the people who were as pure as a piece of white paper. He wanted to spread the most orthodox and purest doctrine of God to them and restore the glory and mercy of God.
At one time, he was hesitant, lost, and even desperate. However, he survived and finally waited for this day.
At this moment, he just wanted to sing a song — he had waited for this day for a long time.
He spared no effort and took a boat to the Philippines again to tell the great news to Bishop Alexander.
Bishop Alexander's ambition was more ferocious than Ricci's. What he wanted was the highest authority in the Catholic world, the supreme glory and enjoyment, and the eternity of his name in history. That was the highest glory as a believer, and the success of the missionary work in China would certainly promote the realization of his ambition.
When Bishop Alexander heard the great news, he almost jumped in joy. At this time, he decided to become the person in charge of the missionary work in China. He did not want to return to the murky Roman Curia to listen to the so-called disputes of interests of the believers. He asked the Pope for permission to come to China in order to cultivate his own power.
He was keenly aware that the Chinese would set off a fanatical wave of China in Europe. This wave would sweep through the whole of Europe, and as the head of the China Church, the greater the influence of China, the greater his influence. The stronger China, the stronger his power. When he could be on an equal footing with the Emperor of China, the position of the Pope would be in the bag.
He wanted to personally create the glory of the missionary work in China, personally baptize the believers, personally promote the clergy of the church, and watch his power grow little by little. He wanted to become an indispensable big shot in the Catholic world.
Therefore, he excitedly told Ricci that he wanted to learn Chinese.
"What? You want to learn the language of China? "
Ricci was puzzled.
Bishop Alexander nodded excitedly and said, "That's right. I've decided to learn the language of China and stay here. I won't return to Europe for the time being. I want to personally take charge of the missionary work of the China Diocese. I want to be in charge of this matter. The China Diocese will be created by me."
Seeing the fanatical Bishop Alexander, Ricci could not help but feel a little worried.
It was indeed good for him to stay here. His identity as a cardinal was enough to make him the head of all the missionaries of this generation. However, did he really understand the people of China and the reality of China?
Xiao Ruxun's side was fine. After all, there was no Confucian power. However, the interior of China was the world of Confucian culture. It was definitely not easy for foreign ideas to compete with the Confucians for the right to speak and believers. The other party could mobilize their administrative power and army to deal with us, but we had no way to deal with them. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to be so careful over the past ten years.
They could really banish us at the slightest disagreement, and they had to go through a lot of trouble to find a place to live. If it were not for the help of his friends, Ricci did not think that he could survive in China. Bishop Alexander did not know anything about China, but he wanted to be in charge of missionary work in China. That was not a good sign.
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