Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 822 What Will Our Rome Become?

Guo Kang's report contained a lot of key information, so Wang Da Lama was quite satisfied. However, everyone had mixed feelings about his conclusion—after all that, he simply said, "Tuohuan did the right thing."

Lama Wang knew him well and knew that, given Guo Kang's line of thinking, this was probably his reasoning. This result was his final suggestion. But to others, it essentially meant saying nothing at all. It might even lead to suspicion that he was also wary of something and didn't want to reveal it openly…

And all of this could only be dealt with by Wang Da Lama and his men.

Fortunately, the people who received the message today were all familiar with the situation and knew that Guo Kang wouldn't speak carelessly. Therefore, they didn't have too many doubts, consulted with Lama Wang about a few questions they were concerned about, and then left.

After completing the task, Lama Wang breathed a sigh of relief.

If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to get involved in these things. But since he'd already started, he might as well do it well. So, after the conversation ended, he made a special trip to the courthouse office to emphasize to the people there that once Guo Kang returned, he would cooperate with him to prepare the final report.

Although it seemed a bit strange to send the Inquisition to investigate the Islamic cult, Wang Da Lama couldn't think of a better solution at the moment. Guo Kang, on the other hand, supported this decision because he had always hoped to establish a truly "universal church," binding the church's administrative body to Rome itself, rather than to any specific faith.

In Guo Kang's view, the Church was part of the Roman administrative apparatus. All religions should be subordinate to this "orthodox Church." Just as the different denominations in Rome today are branches of the Church of God and acknowledge the administration of the Roman Church, different religions are essentially different denominations, and could also be managed in a unified manner according to this idea.

Even Lama Wang thought the idea was too radical. He complained to others that even if this broadly defined Orthodox Church were to be successfully established, its first patriarch would undoubtedly be Constantine. He, Old Wang, simply couldn't bring himself to do it…

However, in actual management, we often have to follow Guo Kang's methods, so even if everyone feels it's incongruous, we have to bite the bullet and solve the problem.

Originally, the Great Lama Wang had planned to bring in the Caliph of Egypt; having more backers, even if only symbolically, would certainly help alleviate some of the pressure. However, before long, the Caliph was summoned away to Italy with the advance team to mediate the Great Schism within the Catholic Church. Therefore, he was left to handle this matter alone…

He sighed and tossed this daunting problem to his assistant: "Peter, what do you think of Guo's reply? If there are no problems, we'll go through it with Basilisa and use the parts she approved that can be made public to report to others."

“I think the report submitted by the acting governor is quite appropriate; however, it is somewhat inappropriate to submit it directly,” Father Peter replied immediately.

"Don't you find what you're saying strange?" Lama Wang was quite speechless. "Stop spouting official jargon and just say it directly."

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Father Peter explained. “The information he gave us is enough to answer almost all the questions people have, which is why I said it was well-written. However, much of this information is suitable for those of us who know the situation, but even after selection, it’s not appropriate to tell others directly.”

"The entire Senate is concerned about this matter, so we have to give a formal response. But there are nuances to how we respond, so we'd better polish our response."

“Different people are truly concerned with different aspects of this matter. Our report can also reflect our attitude and viewpoints in the process of recounting these events. When His Excellency the Acting Governor was writing this report, although he himself may not have been aware of it and was simply filling it with evidence and his own analysis, it is impossible for a person to write without a basic stance and viewpoint. And there are no truly foolish people in the Senate; everyone will soon be able to see through this.”

“The most direct point is that he wrote it as if he were reporting to a familiar superior or elder. But we can’t do that when we’re explaining things to other elders,” Father Peter pointed out. “So even if we remove the parts that need to be kept secret, it’s best to rewrite it. I think that would be more appropriate.”

"Not bad, you're quite capable of handling things on your own now. When it comes to being meticulous, I don't think Xiao Guo, Xiao Wu, or Ivan are as good as you." Lama Wang nodded and praised, "Well then, since you've already figured out the process and know what to do, this task will be assigned to you. After the Empress's report is returned, you'll be in charge of writing this draft."

“…Huh?” Peter was completely dumbfounded.

But since things had already come to this point, there was no point in refusing anymore. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept, promising to do his best.

Thinking about it carefully, Lama Wang probably said that intentionally, even though he called others cunning. No wonder they say experience counts...

However, now that the task had been accepted, some things needed to be clarified. Therefore, Father Peter persistently pressed Lama Wang for details, demanding that he clearly state the Church's position on this matter, especially its attitude towards the person being investigated. To this end, he suggested convening a meeting of the patriarchs in charge of management in Dadu to reach a consensus and formalize it in writing.

According to church practice, a clerk is always present to take notes during formal meetings. After the meeting, the senior clergy members present will review the transcript and then sign it in turn. Once everyone has signed and approved it, the transcript, and indeed the meeting itself, becomes officially binding. Therefore, once the meeting confirms it, he can write with peace of mind.

On this matter, Lama Wang didn't say anything and simply agreed, saying that he just needed to do his job well and that he would take care of the rest.

With the leader's statement, Father Peter said nothing more. However, after the discussion, he couldn't help but ask, "Patriarch, I'd like to ask something else... This isn't the Church's public opinion. You see, when Guo Gongzi wrote this report, it was like he was giving an explanation to an elder. But what do you, as one of the elders, think about this matter? You know, there's a lot of talk going around, and some of the gossip isn't very... nice, is it?" "Oh dear, these Greeks, nothing they say will sound nice. Even if we invited the Virgin Mary, they still wouldn't be able to resist spreading rumors—that's just how our citizens are." Grand Lama Wang didn't seem too bothered. "As for myself, I also hope that there's nothing to it, no conspiracy. Since Taiji and Xiao Guo both say it's fine, I think we should just go with their idea."

“To be honest, I do have some concerns. But having been a clergyman for so many years, I’ve encountered quite a few auspicious and inauspicious omens.” He shook his head and said, “These things aren’t always absolute. Even those omens that God the Father shows us, even those that the church has verified and confirmed, are mostly just warnings and reminders. Whether they ultimately turn out to be good or bad depends on one’s own virtue.”

"Xiao Guo's previous statement also reminded me that having an affair with an Egyptian woman would cause concern among the Romans. However, if we look at it from another perspective, if one is willing to have an affair with an Egyptian woman whose beliefs and culture are quite different, then one will definitely be able to accept the local Egyptian culture and customs, and be more likely to regard the locals as 'one of their own.' And that is exactly what they need most."

"Before and after the plague, he wrote to the court many times, expressing his idea of ​​governing Egypt: to turn the locals into Romans as well. Since classical times, the local Egyptians have been enslaved by various foreign rulers—even Cleopatra herself was Macedonian, not Egyptian. As a result, these regimes came and went, and none of them could take root. What we need to do is break out of this vicious cycle."

"If we succeed in accepting and transforming the Egyptians into Romans, then there's no need to emphasize this woman's identity or any omens, because she's just an ordinary Roman woman; if we fail, then Egypt probably won't be able to integrate her either. If something really happens, one more of her won't make a difference..."

"Besides, I heard Lao Huang tell a story before. Let me think..." He pondered for a moment and said, "In the time of Confucius, in the state of Lu, there was a powerful minister named Yang Hu. Yang Hu was very capable, but also extremely arrogant. He even openly declared: 'If the ruler is wise, one should serve him wholeheartedly; if the ruler is not wise, one should conceal evil thoughts and test him.'"

"Later, Yang Hu lost power in the State of Lu and was expelled, fleeing to the State of Qi. However, the people of Qi also suspected him and even detained him, so he had to find another way to escape, eventually arriving in the State of Jin. At that time, Zhao Jianzi, a powerful nobleman in Jin, welcomed him and appointed him as prime minister. Many people were not optimistic about this decision."

"When Confucius heard of this, he said to Zilu, 'The descendants of the Zhao family may cause trouble.' But Zilu didn't believe him and asked, 'Power isn't in Yang Hu's hands, how can he cause trouble?' Confucius replied, 'This is beyond your comprehension. Yang Hu favored the rich but not the virtuous. He was favored by Ji Hengzi, yet he plotted to kill his lord. When he failed, he fled and asked Qi to accept him. The people of Qi imprisoned him, and he then fled to Jin. In this way, both Qi and Lu were rid of their source of trouble. Zhao Jianzi is greedy for profit and easily trusting; he will surely believe his words and follow his plans. The final consequences of the disaster are beyond the comprehension of this generation.'"

"So, in the end, did this man cause trouble?" Peter asked curiously.

“In the end, nothing actually happened.” Lama Wang shook his head. “In the scriptures of Seris, the judgments of sages and wise men about external situations usually come true. Works like the Spring and Autumn Annals are full of prophecies, making one wonder if they were deliberately compiled by later generations.”

"But this case is an exception. A sage of Confucius's stature actually made a completely wrong prediction, and it was specially recorded as a typical example. This shows how great the impact and educational significance of this event is."

"Moreover, judging from later events, he wasn't the only one who made a wrong judgment. It is said that Zhao Jianzi's close advisors bluntly asked him: 'Yang Hu is good at seizing other people's state power, why do you still use him as prime minister?' Zhao Jianzi replied: 'Yang Hu is dedicated to seizing power, so I am dedicated to maintaining power.' Thus, he used political tactics to control Yang Hu. Yang Hu dared not do anything bad and served Zhao Jianzi well, enabling Zhao Jianzi to become powerful and almost become a hegemon."

“You see, everyone thinks Yang Hu is a villain, but if you have enough ability and can clearly understand the situation and the other party’s character, then even a villain can be used to make him give full play to his talents,” Wang Da Lama concluded.

“I think this story makes a lot of sense, and it just came to mind today. Do you remember Confucius’s theory? Women and petty men are similar in many ways.” He told Father Peter, “Therefore I think that if a gentleman can control a petty man, limit his ability to do evil, and force him to serve the country, then he can also control a woman, limit her behavior, and force her to play a positive role.”

"Xiao Guo has already covered the benefits and dangers that Taiji could gain from his relationship with this woman quite thoroughly. I think Taiji is capable of managing this person well." He concluded, "Among this generation of young people, he is the most skilled at management, selection, and appointment. He knows when to intervene and when not to interfere. In this respect, he is even more talented than Xiao Guo—Xiao Guo often relies too much on his own work."

“Over the years, Taiji has dealt with many people who are considered scoundrels, and the results have always been quite good. So I think he can definitely handle this woman too. We'll just have to wait and see how he performs.”

"I see." Peter thought for a moment, then hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Wang Da Lama asked, somewhat curious.

“What you’ve said makes a lot of sense, but Taiji is looking for a lover, not a prime minister, isn’t he?” Peter pointed out: “These principles are all about how to rule over others, I don’t know if they’re appropriate.”

“It should be appropriate. He is our crown prince, and no matter which woman he is with, he will definitely rule over her. If this contradicts finding a lover, then he has nothing good to find,” said Lama Wang after thinking for a moment.

“It seems that only the girl from the Shi family is not afraid of him, and even Taiji is somewhat afraid of her,” Father Peter said after thinking for a moment.

“Oh, ‘Shi Zetian’.” Lama Wang was obviously aware of these things as well, and shook his head helplessly: “That person is even less likely. The Seres’ taboo against Empress Wu is probably more serious than the Romans’ taboo against Cleopatra.”

“Then who knows what will happen next…” Father Peter shrugged.

“Let’s take it one step at a time—I don’t think it should come to that. Otherwise, having Cleopatra on one side and Wu Zetian on the other would be too frightening.” Lama Wang exclaimed, “Father, what will become of our Rome…”

(End of this chapter)