"Brother John, according to you, we can only watch the cause of the Church in the Far East suffer a catastrophe?"

Innocent X seemed very unwilling.

He was not willing to bear the charge of "losing the Far East" and become a "failed pope".

"Holy Father," said John Tong, "a crisis of faith is not the same as a catastrophe...... That was for the upper classes of the Society of Jesus, which had been trying to develop. For the people at the bottom who live in despair and helplessness, how can the 'unkindness of heaven and earth' be compared with the Lord's love for the world? ”

"Heaven and earth are unkind? What do you mean? The Pope was a little unhappy with John Tong, who popped up two Chinese words from time to time.

"Holy Father, the unkindness of heaven and earth means that heaven and earth do not love the world, this is a theory that heaven and man are two, although they also recognize the existence of God, but they believe that God does not care about the world, but only allows all things between heaven and earth to develop freely, and what can be developed depends on ability!"

What John Tang is talking about is another "line of heavenly principles" of Confucianism, which is Xunzi's thought. He thinks that Heaven (Heavenly Principle, God) does not love anyone, nor does he hate anyone, and what he mixes up is all his own creation.

"This, this, this is an atheistic view?" The Pope was amazed, "Confucian priests who hold this view will definitely be burned at the stake!" ”

"Holy Father, in fact, I don't ......," said John Tong, "Confucianism is a very inclusive sect or school, and all kinds of theories can be discussed. Of course, there was hostility and persecution between factions, but it was never known of anyone being burned at the stake. ”

"Then they must not have religious wars either?" Cardinal Kigi is also a relatively tolerant person, and when he heard John Tang say this about Confucianism, he was a little envious.

"Confucianism is not strictly a religion," said John Tong, "and Confucianism is a school of thought that has never had an angel or a prophet, nor has the Son of God descended upon them." It is only through philosophical speculation that they perceive God...... So in them, the good and evil of God can be discussed. ”

At this point, John Tong drew a cross on his chest to discuss the good and evil of God...... It's so evil to say that, you should ask for forgiveness!

Both the Pope and Cardinal Gigi were speechless in astonishment, this Confucianism is really, so embarrassing to God!

After a while, Cardinal Kigi spoke: "Holy Father, this may be the will of the Lord......

His theory can also explain why God didn't send a prophet to China or something, but let the ancient Chinese sages become aware of his existence.

Isn't this intentional on the part of the Lord Almighty? Isn't this another kind of God's love?

The Pope glared at him viciously: "Brother Kigi, we should not try to figure out the Lord, but we should always fulfill the duty that God has given us!" ”

"Holy Father, I was wrong!" Kigi broke out in a cold sweat, it was a grave mistake for him to speculate about the Lord's thoughts, and he was going to hell! I don't sell indulgences anymore, what can I do?

"Brother John, I know what to do." "I will strengthen the Far Eastern Church and send the most combative clergy to serve as bishops," the Pope said. ”

"Holy Father, you can't actually do that." Tang Ruowang said, "The Ming Emperor has made a request for the right to protect the religion!" ”

"What?" The Pope couldn't believe his ears, "He was baptized?" ”

"No...... He is not a believer," said John Tong, "but although he believes in God, he is not a brother of the Church." ”

Believing in God and believing in Heaven and believing in the Catholic Church are two different things!

"Then he will never want to get the right to protect the church!" "I will never agree!" the Pope said. ”

John Tang sighed: "Holy Father, he thinks that he has obtained the right to protect the Far East from the Kingdom of Portugal......"

......

Vienna, October 1650.

The city, which seemed to have lost all its passions and dreams after the Thirty Years' War, and even the sky was overshadowed, suddenly became excited and glorious when October first arrived.

Emperor Ferdinand III, who ruled the city, swept a few more gold coins out of his empty vault and began to decorate the ruined, depressed city with them. The Imperial Army, which had not held any military parade for a long time, began to train as a team, and it seemed that they were going to the battlefield again to fight for the glory of God and the Habsburgs.

But everyone knows that the current empire, no, the whole of Europe, has been exhausted by the Thirty Years' War, and perhaps the French, who did not lose much in the Thirty Years' War, still have the strength to toss around - they are tossing their own people, and they have been making some kind of catreptological movement since 1648, and they have not yet survived. Spain, which thought it was favored by God, also had a little spirit, and was still fighting a losing war with the French and Portuguese.

But in Vienna, everyone knew that there would be no more wars.

The empire is no longer in the fold, and the Habsburgs are in need of recuperation.

So decorating the city and training the army is not for the sake of war, but for the purpose of welcoming the distinguished guests from the Far East - the envoys of the Ming Empire!

The Ming Dynasty is China, the ancient country of the East rich in porcelain and silk, which is a symbol of mystery, wealth, and civilization in the eyes of Europeans in this era...... Maybe add strength and wisdom!

Because their emperor not only sent a huge mission to Europe, but also made friends with the Ottoman Empire.

Being able to send a mission to Europe means that they have stopped being "autistic" and are starting to become intelligent and visionary.

And becoming a friend of the most powerful Ottoman Empire in the world fully demonstrates the strength of the Ming Empire!

The fact that the missions of such a rich, civilized, powerful, and intelligent ancient empire regard the Holy Roman Empire as the first stop on their trip to Europe (in fact, the first stop is Istanbul) fully demonstrates that the Holy Roman Empire is still influential.

In the eyes of the distant Ming Empire, the Holy Roman Empire was still a country with a group of leaders......

And in order to let the Chinese mission fully understand the strength of the empire, Ferdinand III had no choice but to slap his swollen face and become fat!

Oh, it's not exactly a swollen face, at least in the eyes of Ji Kun and Li Shaoyou, this empire that looks quite big on the map, but is actually broken into three hundred small countries and more than fifteen hundred knight territories, is not particularly bad.

There is at least one emperor in the Holy Roman Empire!

Before leaving Nanjing, Emperor Zhu took care of Ji Kun and had to focus on the Netherlands, England, and France, and two of the three countries that he had to focus on interacting with had no king!

King Charles I of England lost his head at the beginning of last year...... And it was also publicly executed after a court trial!

And the Dutch regent of Orange was lost at the beginning of this year! Wilhelm II, who was in his twenties, died of smallpox, but his widow William III did not ascend to the throne, so he did not even have a regent. The United Republic of the Netherlands is now governed by a council that is not very competent...... Lian Fan. Dimen didn't know who to go to to receive the Ming mission?

As for France, the king is alive for the time being! It can only be said that for the time being, because he has been driven out of the city of Paris, he is hiding in the royal fortress Saint-Germain near Paris, and is attacked by a group of party members called "stone-throwing party", and I don't know when he was stoned to death.

It is said that this King Louis was only 13 years old, alas, and I don't know how many years he can live?

So Ji Kun had to give up his plan to visit Paris, France immediately - he was also afraid of being stoned to death by the French!

I don't plan to go to the Netherlands for the time being, I always have to wait for Fan. Diemen came back from Holland, right?

I heard that the Netherlands is a republic of seven provinces, and all seven provinces have parliaments and armies, so maybe there will be a seven-province hegemony, so Ji Kun will not go to the Netherlands first, or establish an embassy in the Holy Roman Empire first. When John Tong returned from Rome, he became the minister of the Ming Dynasty to the Holy Roman Empire. Ji Kun and Li Shaoyou waited for the opportunity to go to France, the Netherlands and England.