Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1683 Crime
"You've committed another sin."

[Although it was a terrible thing, it was useful. As you saw before, the Dragon Tooth soldiers were characterized by their ability to summon an army at any time. The Romans used them as a 'final solution.' When conventional forces couldn't solve the problem, they would unleash the Dragon Tooth soldiers. And they were indeed effective, because their magical power was immense.]

"So the magic is so powerful because it used mummy powder?"

"Ah, then don't ask me. Alchemy was Alexander's business, which means it was conducted in Egypt. There were quite a few Egyptians in Alexander's household, and they agreed to it themselves. It's not a big deal; the Greeks sold their ancestors to the Romans, so it's not unreasonable for the Egyptians to do the same."

The Roman Empire was a nation formed from three parts: the Latins, the Greeks, and the Egyptians, with the Egyptians actually being the most numerous. However, before being defeated by the Latins, the Egyptians had already been reduced to a state of "fusion" by the Greeks, and the chimera of the two—the Ptolemaic dynasty—was in seclusion, preparing to break through to a new level.

The Roman invasion drove Ptolemy, who had been practicing his assimilation philosophy in seclusion, to a state of near-madness, forcibly expelling the half-assimilated Egyptians. These expelled Egyptians had lost their individual identity, retaining only their language and writing system. Afterward, the Egyptians primarily survived as the Coptic Orthodox Church, relinquishing half of their civilization in exchange for the opportunity to maintain their independence.

This is not without its merits. The so-called "abandoning half of civilization's elements" refers to relying on religion rather than custom to determine one's way of life. However, from another perspective, when the Coptic Orthodox Church is entirely composed of Coptic people, then Coptic culture itself can play a dominant role, including the use of the ancient Egyptian alphabet. Most of its popes are also Coptic, primarily citizens of Alexandria.

This practice inexplicably became a prelude to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. When the Western Roman Empire collapsed, the Roman bureaucracy and many Latins also sought refuge in the Church.

"So Rome is really interesting," Shangluo muttered. "When the Romans do something to someone, they often get their revenge after a while."

This is no longer the custom of the mysterious feudal Rome of today, but the custom of the entire history of Rome.

So now, the same thing Rome did is happening again, and retribution is coming.

The Romans used mummy powder to solve their problem because they believed it possessed powerful magic. However, it was precisely because this powder possessed such magic, and was even revitalized by alchemy, that it was driven by their magic to want to return to its original place—the Valley of the Kings.

“Alright.” Shang Luo pressed his forehead. “So now that they’re back, the question is, what do they want to do? Your Highness, what do you think they’ll do?”

"Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty, but I don't think they'll do anything," the bald priest said in a deep voice. "If I may, I would like to say a word for them. After all, they are my ancestors, my people. They just want to return to their homeland and live like human beings."

“I know that,” Shangluo replied. “My conditions are also very simple. As long as they accept the rule of the empire, submit to the emperor, eradicate all witchcraft and sorcery, and ban illicit worship, then everything can be negotiated.”

"Witchcraft? Profanity?" The high priest didn't understand the meaning of these new terms. "What do they specifically refer to?"

"These are purely political concepts—any magic we don't recognize is witchcraft. Any sacrifice we don't recognize is licentious worship." This has always been a political issue, and it has been so throughout history.

Beyond the six directions (of heaven and earth), we leave things aside; Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits—this is common knowledge. A wise man once said that religion is like potato chips for the people—this isn't just emphasizing the harm of religion, but also highlighting its practical significance, much like potato chips. In the unbearable suffering of the pre-modern era, the hardships of life needed to be alleviated.

Successive dynasties have attached great importance to this matter, because the people will naturally seek ways to relieve their suffering.

Buddhism is very adept at this.

The Buddha taught that there is suffering in birth, old age, sickness, and death, as well as various kinds of suffering from unfulfilled desires. Different kinds of suffering require different ways of alleviating them. Outside of Buddhism, some local rituals focused on alleviating suffering, leading to the formation of many secret societies, such as the White Lotus, which formed religious groups, and the Green Lotus, which formed secret societies. The former gave rise to numerous rebellious religious groups, while the latter relied on the Grand Canal Gang to establish itself in various industries.

To some extent, the key to the suffering of the people lies in the inadequacy of grassroots governance—because suffering is relative. People cannot perceive suffering that they are unaware of, therefore the direct source of suffering is the injustice and inadequacy around them.

Imperial power did not extend to the countryside. In such times, the White Lotus and the Green Lotus would come into play. The White Lotus relied on densely populated areas to spread its doctrines, while the Green Lotus often concentrated in industries with large populations or significant economies, establishing rules and regulations within those areas. Both could mediate conflicts, facilitate economic circulation, and build networks within their respective spheres, also creating peripheral organizations.

For example, in some cities where the canal gangs were prevalent, those from the lowest of the low in the social classes would organize themselves into guilds and even establish hierarchical systems based on seniority. Strictly speaking, these had nothing to do with religion, but they were a form of self-governance.

Should the imperial court intervene in these matters?

The imperial court, of course, has to intervene, and naturally, it will expand its control. Whether it's Buddhist sects or folk associations, the imperial court will always seek a balance between them.

In principle, earlier dynasties—those before the Song Dynasty—would tend to use Buddhist sects to replace folk associations, because the court at least knew what Buddhism was, while it was hard to say what folk associations would produce.

However, if Buddhism alleviates suffering and occupies this niche, then some people will begin to abandon their lives to devote themselves to temples—from a moral perspective, this is a sign of moral decay. But banning Buddhism because of this would only be a stopgap measure, since suffering still needs to be alleviated.

Therefore, after a long period of deliberation, the imperial court brought out the powerful weapon of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)