For every Copts on this island, in their eyes, the Ming is the savior. He is a savior sent by God.

It's just that the saviors always have their needs, all of which is an unknown secret to ordinary Copts, but it is not a secret to the Copts upper class.

The question is what they need.

What is Coptic Upper?

Undoubtedly, it is the Church, because it is faith that distinguishes them from the Arabs.

Although the Arab rule in Egypt has lasted for thousands of years, there are still Coptic churches in Egypt, and they are still stubbornly surviving under the oppression of the Arabs.

It was the bishops of the five dioceses who made a choice by voting - to accept the aid of the Ming Dynasty and launch an uprising!

With the support of the priests, tens of thousands of Copts left Egypt through the port and boarded the merchant ships of the Ming Dynasty to receive military training in foreign lands, and while those people were training, preparations for the uprising were also being carried out in Egypt and within the Church.

"Now the Copts are Arabs in manners, language and spirit, from head to toe, although they don't know how."

In the basement of the church in Cairo, Alexander spoke to the bishop in front of him.

"Many of their habits are very similar to those of the Arabs."

"It's just a lot like that. This is because of the forced assimilation of the Arabs, do not forget, but most of the so-called Arabs are actually converted Copts. For thousands of years, too many people have been forced by them to convert their faith. ”

Rasim said as he looked at Alexander in front of him.

"Do you know what Arab scholars think of the Copts?"

Rasim, as bishop, asked rhetorically.

"We are infidels."

"And it's not all!"

Rasim looked into the distance and said.

"In Cairo and Istanbul, many scholars have asserted that we, the Copts of Egypt, are nothing more than Christian Arabs. Because if you look closely, it is not difficult to see that they have a common psychological quality that is different from that of the Arabs. ”

Rasim's wise eyes revealed a kind of helplessness,

"This is the real sorrow, because in their eyes, we, the Copts, never owned this place, but here we have become outsiders, even by blood, who believe that our ancestors turned their backs on the faith and chose Christ."

The bishop's words made Alexander say angrily.

"Those people are shameless guys!"

"We, the Copts, pride ourselves on believing in Christ, and our state of mind is strongly expressed through religious beliefs. When Christianity came to Egypt in the second century through St. Mark, we joined the Church as a sign of resistance to the polytheistic Roman rulers. In the fourth century, the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, advocating the coexistence of Christ, God and man. We Egyptian Christians did the opposite, embracing the doctrine of the unity of Christ, God and man in order to compete with the Roman and Byzantine rulers. We quote Christ's oracle: "Surrender to Caesar the things of Caesar and to God the things of God" to oppose the interference of secular authorities in the affairs of the church and to maintain the independence of the church. In 451, the Council of Chalcedon denounced monosexuality as heresy, and the Christian Church in Egypt broke with the Church of Constantinople. Two centuries later, the Arabs invaded and destroyed everything, and although they allowed the "infidels" to exist, they imposed heavy taxes on them. "Heretics" who could not afford to pay heavy taxes were either forced to become *** or killed. Under brutal persecution, the number of Christians in Egypt was declining. But there are still many people who have stood firm in the word of the Lord under harsh circumstances, and under God's protection, the Coptic church has always stood tall in Egypt. During their millennia rule, the vast majority of Egypt's inhabitants converted to heresy under a long period of repression, but the Copts remained proud of their faith. Many Copts also had crosses tattooed on their wrists. All of this expresses the feelings of pride, self-esteem, and self-defense of the Coptic people. How can we be the same as them? ”

After the bishop questioned him with facts, Alexander said.

"But that doesn't change the fact ......"

Looking at the bishop, Alexander said.

"Our language — a lot of Copts now, they all speak Arabic, and many people don't even speak Coptic at all."

This is exactly what Alexander feared.

"If we wear the same clothes, then the Copts, no different from the Arabs, hardly anyone can distinguish us."

"Then teach them!"

Rasim said without hesitation,

"Teach them, let them speak Coptic, this is the first step in the establishment of our country, Alexander, in the future, even if we take back Egypt and drive out the infidels here, we must face the reality that there are many Arabs around us, their beliefs are very different from ours, in their eyes, we are pagans who can be bullied at will, if we cannot distinguish it linguistically, then what is the difference between this Egypt and the old Egypt?"

As a bishop, Rasim of course knew the importance of language, and now, in the forced assimilation of the Arabs, there are fewer and fewer people who use Coptic, and in some places, even only in churches, and because of this, when Alexander mentioned the problem of language, Rasim was the first to point out what should be done in the future.

"Bishop, do you believe them? Can they really help us win our freedom? ”

Again, Alexander looked at the bishop and asked with some confusion.

"Of course, you should see that the Ming is the most powerful country in the world, even in Istanbul, where the Ottoman emperors are afraid of their strength!"

For more than ten years, with the steady stream of Ming merchant ships coming to all over the world, so for the Ming Dynasty, Rasim is no stranger, he knows where that country is, of course, he also knows how powerful that country is in the mouth of the emperor and the Great Villa in Istanbul.

"As long as we have their support, we will be able to be free and reclaim our homeland! And then the creation of the Copts themselves as states. ”

"But, Lord Bishop, their help is not gratuitous!"

Alexander looked at the bishop with questions in his tone.

"They are really helping us, but they are not sending their own troops, they are just giving us some help, that's all, and then we need to hand over the Sinai Peninsula to them......"

"It's a good thing for us!"

Looking at Alexander, who looked puzzled, Alam explained.

"The Sinai Peninsula is just a desert, and it was from there that the Arabs broke into Egypt, and after we gained independence, we were bound to suffer from the invasion of the Ottomans, and the Ming controlled there, but it could be used as a barrier to Egypt to protect us from the invasion of the Arabs, of course, ......"

After a moment of silence, Aram said.

"Perhaps, the Ming can protect us from another Arab invasion, but, Alexander ......"

Looking at Alexander, who was not a bishop, but a well-known scholar among the Copts, Aram asked rhetorically.

"Have you ever thought about what Egypt will look like in the future?"

"A Coptic Egypt."

"So what kind of country should the Egypt of the Copts be?"

Faced with the bishop's rhetorical question, Alexander pondered for a moment, and then said.

"A free country."

But who should rule this country? Is it the church? Or something else? ”

The bishop's question stunned Alexander.

"You must give Caesar's affairs to Caesar, and God's affairs to God", the Coptic Church should not interfere in the world, but Egypt needs a king in the future, but where is our king?"

Staring at Alexander, Rasim's gaze radiated with wisdom.

"The Copts don't have their own king, and if we can't have our own king, then in the future the country will be in chaos and fall into the chaos of warlords, just like before the Ottomans came here, those Mamluks are perennial scuffles, so, the Copts need a king, my friend, do you think, where is our king?"

Faced with the bishop's question, Alexander chose to remain silent, and it was a long time before he spoke.

"If, without a king, then, perhaps, after the uprising, we will fall into chaos, and every careerist will take the throne in the Arab way, and perhaps, the revolt of the Copts will never succeed, just like the revolt of the Copts eight hundred years ago, and the revolt failed because several generals wanted to become kings......"

The lessons of history remind you of what can happen without your own king, and Rasim nodded in agreement.

"Yes, if there is a king, then, everything can be avoided, so ......"

Looking directly at Alexander, Bishop Rasim said.

"I want you to go to Daming."

"To Daming?"

Alexander said puzzled.

"Yes, go there, for us, for the Copts, to bring back a prince of the Ming Dynasty as our king!"

"My God,"

Looking at the bishop in amazement, Alexander was surprised.

"Why? The prince of the Ming Dynasty, he is not a Copt, why should we let a prince of the Ming Dynasty be our king? ”

"Because, only in this way, the generals will not rebel, they will not dare to provoke the Ming Kingdom, and, my friend, faith is the basis of the Copts,"

Staring into the distance, Bishop Rasim said solemnly.

"As long as the prince of the Ming Dynasty has the same faith as us, I think we can support a prince of the Ming Dynasty as our king......"

。 Book Reading House