Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 713: The Caliph, the Grand Master, and the Patriarch prepare to mediate the Catholic-Catholic schism

Outside the capital city, Zhu Wenkui and others gathered in the camp to check the stored supplies.

They had not been here for a long time. In the past six months, a number of buildings had been built on this vast area that had once been used as a camp, and the scale had also expanded a lot. In addition to the soldiers in training, there were also a number of finished firearms. Urban brought a few blacksmiths with him to introduce the relevant situation to them.

The decision-makers in the Wu Palace were generally very interested in firearms - even little Jeanna. Although Princess Ma forbad her to run around, she still dragged her new sister to touch and look at the large and small artillery on display.

Although they had only known each other for a few days, they got along very well and became familiar with each other quickly. After watching this, she also called Nurhaci out from the woods to play with her younger sister.

After not seeing it for a while, Nurhaci had grown a lot bigger. Little Ranna took it to the open space outside and insisted that her younger sister ride it too. The two of them started playing with it soon.

At this time, a few wild boars that he had never seen before ran out from a distance. Nurhaci immediately turned around and shouted "Huff! Huff!" a few times. The skinny wild boars turned around and ran away, and soon disappeared.

The people in the camp told little Jeanna that Nurhaci had been doing very well recently and the animals around him were very afraid of him.

It turned out that because of a series of things that happened before, the palace was very busy every day, with people coming and going, so little Ranna brought it to the camp outside the city and let it graze in the woods next to the camp. There were some wild boars living here, so she thought it should be easier to raise. However, Nurhaci obviously did not have a good relationship with them. As soon as they met, they started fighting and grabbing territory.

Nurhaci was originally strong and fierce. The Ming soldiers who were training in the camp fed it from time to time, so it became fatter and stronger. Those wild boars could not beat it at all. As a result, all the good territories nearby were occupied by Nurhaci.

The local wild boars were starving to the point of being emaciated, and Nurhaci did not treat them kindly simply because they were of the same species. Instead, he attacked them every day and robbed them of the little food they had left.

Some wild boars were smarter and tried to go to the Ming army camp to beg for food, but the area around the camp was Nurhaci's territory, so even the opportunity to get in touch with the camp was monopolized by Nurhaci. As a result, these wild boars could only flee to the deeper parts of the forest that were more remote and barren. When they occasionally came out, they had to hide from the beast.

After a tour of the camp, Zhu Wenkui returned to the city to meet with officials from the Khan's court to discuss follow-up plans.

Monk Daoyan told him that because it involved the Hussite issue, he had better discuss with the Purple Tent Church several times to make things clear. The Great Qin State was now preparing to intervene in the issue of the split of the Catholic Church, and seemed to be beginning to care about restoring the old capital of Rome. If the conditions were ripe, he could take this opportunity to resolve the Hussite issue as well.

Monk Daoyan had talked with Patriarch Wang several times and reached some consensus. However, some things still needed to be discussed with the people from the Wu Palace. Therefore, he also informed the church that Zhu Wenkui could visit whenever he was free in the next few days.

Monk Daoyan has been too active recently, and even took the initiative to help Zhu Wenkui and others arrange various things. Although it always feels a bit strange, and I don't know where he gets such enthusiasm, the effect is indeed very obvious. Therefore, although he wants to take a break, Zhu Wenkui still dares not neglect it when he thinks that his father is busy. After a little tidying up, he took a few assistants and rushed to the Niangniang Temple.

When they arrived at the square, they found that the place was undergoing repairs, and the four huge Sulu ingots on the four corners were gone. The priest who greeted them at the door told them that the place was being renovated and maintained in order to welcome the return of the expeditionary force.

According to the plan that Taiji had ordered, during the celebration, these four pillars would be temporarily replaced with four obelisks shipped from Egypt for display to everyone.

"Oh, I know that. Brother Kang said it's called 'limited skin'." Zhu Wenkui nodded in understanding: "But this is a big project, isn't it too much of a hassle?"

"We use new machinery." Although the priest didn't quite understand the term, he still explained: "Those racks were brought by the brothers of the Holy Light's Wish Order. With these machines, our work is much more convenient."

Zhu Wenkui looked in the direction he pointed and found that there were indeed some priests in black robes gathered there. They were surrounding a pile of parts, chanting loudly and checking them over and over again.

Zhu Wenkui himself was familiar with the equipment and knew that this was to recite the rules and then work according to the process. Reading these rules as if they were scriptures was indeed helpful for memorization. However, from a distance, it did look quite strange, as if some kind of sacrificial ceremony was being performed...

"Well, as long as it can be done, it's fine." He thought about it and felt that with the education level in Rome, there was no need to be too particular: "But this project is not small, can it be done in time?"

“Now these four corners are empty, and it always makes people feel like something is missing.” He pointed around and commented, “I guess we were used to it before, and suddenly found that there were no four pillars around, so we are not used to it.”

"We will make it in time. Don't worry. The obelisk is already on its way." The priest replied, "Our base has also been poured with cement. Once it arrives, we will start construction right away."

"It's so fast." Zhu Wenkui exclaimed.

They followed the priest to the temple and soon arrived at the office of Lama Wang. It was as busy as usual, with various clerical staff coming in and out with various documents. Lama Wang was writing furiously on the table, and when he saw them, he quickly stood up to greet them.

"I thought you guys wouldn't be able to come for another two days." He greeted them, "How's the situation over there? Do you need any help?"

"Our material preparations are going smoothly, but we still need to discuss religious issues with you." Zhu Wenkui said, "You seem to be quite busy here. Is it what you mentioned before, helping the Catholic Church achieve reunification?"

"This is indeed the most important task recently. There are many things that need to be arranged and handled by the church." Da Lama Wang nodded: "We invited Caliph Mustain from Alexandria to help with the mediation. We need to arrange translators and service personnel for the reception, and we also have to plan the meeting schedule. They are of a very high level, so I have to take care of it myself."

"Ah? Ask the Caliph to mediate the Catholic affairs?" Zhu Wenkui didn't react for a moment.

"The King of France organized a group of bishops to mediate, but the effect was still not very good." Da Lama Wang told him: "After discussion, we felt that asking the bishops to exert pressure on this matter is not enough. So on the one hand, we need to use the dispatch of the legion to express our determination; on the other hand, we also need higher-level religious figures to come forward and express a sufficient attitude."

"Master Daoyan has already told you the specific arrangements, right? He is the abbot of the Ming Dynasty, Mustain is the caliph of the Muslim religion, and I am the patriarch here. The three of us appearing together is considered to give them enough face. If we don't do something, it would be too tactless." "Is that so..." Zhu Wenkui scratched his head. Although it still felt a bit strange, but after thinking about it carefully, it still made some sense.

After all, being able to invite all three groups of people at the same time already represents the face and strength of Rome. It may indeed have a better effect.

"I heard from Brother Kang that he hopes the court will set up a committee to coordinate the affairs of various religions and try to limit the disputes between them to the system." He speculated: "From this perspective, this should be the first preview of this system."

"That's what I mean." Da Lama Wang nodded approvingly. "Unfortunately, he has other things to do and can't make it in time. However, some people from Egypt have returned one after another. The obelisks they transported are already on the way."

"Why are you so obsessed with the obelisk?" Zhu Wenkui was quite curious.

"He encountered several strange things there," Da Lama Wang replied. "During the victory parade, they passed by the ruins of a temple and were attacked by a cat inside. After investigation, they found that it was the temple of the cat god in ancient Egypt."

"The officials there thought there might be something fishy going on. We just happened to need materials here, so we dismantled a few of the steles around the temple and brought them here. We regard them as the spoils of our operation and put them on display. In ancient times, this is probably how they dealt with newly conquered areas, and it probably shouldn't be a problem."

“Is that so…” Zhu Wenkui nodded.

Although it sounded interesting, it had little to do with his visit, so he quickly started asking key questions.

"I came here this time to ask about church reconciliation." He told Da Lama Wang: "Captain Yang and his people hope that you can give a formal statement to recognize the legitimacy of the Hussites. This will make it much easier for them to carry out activities in Bohemia and other places in the future."

"Isn't that necessary?" Lama Wang replied with a smile.

"It's not that we need to do anything here, we just need to make a voice and they can spread the word themselves." Zhu Wenkui added: "Everyone now knows that Rome is preparing to intervene in the split of the Western Catholic Church, and the emergence and rapid expansion of the Hussites are closely related to the corruption and split of the church."

"So we feel that since Rome is trying to resolve the church schism, the existence of the Hussites cannot be ignored. Conversely, if the Catholic Church's own troubles are resolved, then the Hussites will no longer be a problem."

"Although the activities of the Hussites and Catholics are basically outside the country, the prestige of Rome is still rising. Your message will definitely have an effect on many people who are still waiting and struggling. Besides, the current idea is to bring all religions under management and achieve unification as much as possible, so the Hussites should also be included. If we can settle them down, it will definitely have a great demonstration significance for various subsequent work."

"Oh, you misunderstood." After listening to him, Da Lama Wang explained, "I didn't mean that I would not help, but I felt that there was no need to issue a special statement."

"You probably want us to recognize that the Hussites are an independent and legal sect. But in our opinion, this is unnecessary and will have a greater negative impact."

"This is a long story, please take a seat first." He greeted Zhu Wenkui and returned to his desk. After a moment's silence, he said, "Although it's not a good idea to say this, I think Commander Yang and even Father Hu are too simplistic in this regard."

"What do you mean?" Zhu Wenkui asked quickly.

"What do you think the Catholic Church is?" Lama Wang suddenly asked.

"It's a church..." Zhu Wenkui blurted out without realizing it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "If you want to be more specific, it should be a religious management organization, right?"

"Yes. The church and doctrine are not the same concept. Although closely related to faith, the church itself is quite 'secular'. Especially after the formalization of the church, it is actually a bureaucratic organization." Da Lama Wang replied: "To be more precise, it is a bureaucratic organization used by the Roman Empire to manage and maintain faith."

"If we look at history, it is not difficult to find that the various crises encountered by the church are actually crises of Rome." He gave an example: "Why did the Eastern and Western churches eventually split? Because Rome itself was splitting. When the empire was actually divided into two, the Eastern and Western churches were bound to have a gap; when the Eastern Empire found it increasingly difficult to maintain its influence in the West, the Western Church would gradually drift away from them."

"Why is the Western Catholic Church splitting now? Because the traditional 'Western Rome' is also splitting. In the early years, everyone agreed that the Alemanni king was the actual person in charge of the former Western Empire and the protector of the Catholic Church. But with the rapid rise of the Capetian family, France began to increasingly undermine the original order, leading to corresponding divisions within the church. Later, the long-term confrontation between the two popes in Avignon and Rome was directly triggered by the French."

"So, what is the current situation in the Catholic world? From Ireland to Poland, is Catholic society gradually unifying or disintegrating?" He spread his hands and asked, "I think everyone should know this very well."

"That's true." Zhu Wenkui understood: "No wonder Brother Kang always tells us that the split of the Catholic Church is inevitable, and it will definitely get worse in the future..."

"Yes, predictions in this area really don't require any divinity. People who know the church well enough can actually see it. Everyone in the Catholic Church must also understand it." Da Lama Wang nodded, then shook his head: "Of course, even if they understand it, it's useless."

"That's why our church has always been very certain that no matter the matchmaking by the King of France or the mediation by Sigismund, there will be no good results. Because what they are trying to bridge is the very thing that was divided because of their appearance. How can this succeed?"

"Can the same situation also be applied to the Hussite issue?" Zhu Wenkui asked.

“Yes, we believe that the various emergencies may be unpredictable. But the overall trend is still very obvious,” Da Lama Wang said firmly.

(End of this chapter)