The name of a person, the shadow of a tree, this sentence does not come from nowhere, but it definitely has his objective truth side.

Matteo Ricci was one of the first Catholic missionaries to come to China in the Middle Ages, and he was also one of the missionaries who had the greatest influence on East Asia.

The main reason for this was the way he behaved – unlike other missionaries who were like a castle in the air, Matteo Ricci was the first Western missionary to read Chinese literature and study Chinese texts.

In other words, he is the originator of "mastering the art of mastering and conquering the country", he is spreading Western astronomy, mathematics, geography and other scientific and technological knowledge, drawing the first Chinese version of the world map, and making great contributions to the development of technology in the East.

But in the end, his fundamental purpose was to sow the glory of the Lord in the land of China, so that these tens of thousands of people would become the Lord's people, and he would be famous for this almost unimaginable great feat.

Standing in front of me at this time, he exuded an aura commensurate with his status, looking like a cardinal in a prestigious diocese in West London, and even the cross on his chest radiated a dazzling golden glow.

After greeting me and saluting, he stood still and looked at me with a quiet smile.

Reach out and don't hit the smiling person, besides, he is such a celebrity in history. Although in my heart he can't tear off the label of a god, a liar, and a big fool, this does not prevent me from having a polite conversation with him.

"Father Matteo Ricci, I wonder what you're looking for me?" The smile on my face was faint, but it was sincere.

"Loving-kindness and truthfulness, meet one another, thank the Lord! Your Excellency, are you going to return to the Ming Dynasty? If so, I think God arranged for us to walk together. "Matteo Ricci's exit is the chapter, highlighting his deep flickering skills.

I raised my eyebrows and said with a smile on my face, "Oh? And this honor? Don't you know that at this sensitive time, it is very dangerous to openly tail other fleets? My sailors almost sent you and your parishioners to the bottom of the sea. ”

Matteo Ricci smiled without changing his face: "Those who walk on the right road are safe every step." Thank God! As you said, this is a sensitive time, especially in one of the most sensitive places in Iberia! So, I can only intercept you halfway, otherwise I'm afraid I'll miss it. ”

I frowned and said, "How do you know I'm going to pass through here?" Where did you get the news? ”

"My heart longs for you like a deer for a stream! Even though Elizabeth didn't allow us to preach in England, we still had our own channels, so I knew it and waited here as soon as I could. Matteo Ricci smiled gently: "If I hadn't stopped you here, I'm afraid you would inevitably have to endure an unavoidable entanglement." ”

I looked at him, and he looked at me. Matteo Ricci's eyes were full of purity, like a truly enlightened master, and he could not see any inaccuracies.

After a long time, I suddenly smiled: "Welcome, Father Matteo Ricci, I am very interested in the entanglement you are talking about, why don't we go to the cabin and talk about it in detail?" ”

Matteo Ricci said, "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, thank you for understanding my thoughts. ”

I said no more, made a gesture of please, and went with him into the cabin, and into my captain's quarters.

After sitting down, I had my own patience and served tea. Matteo Ricci, who has lived in the Ming Dynasty for many years, took a sip and exclaimed: "It is actually a good hairy tip, and His Excellency the Duke really understands the true meaning of life." Be kind to yourself. ”

I smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, put down the cup and asked, "Father, you are also going to the Ming Dynasty?" Haven't you been preaching near Guangdong? ”

Matteo Ricci's expression suddenly showed a slight embarrassment, thought about it, sighed before he said: "Foolish people like foolishness, and mockers like to be stupid." Since the beginning of the last two years, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the local governors have begun to shrink our space, and since last year, many of our preaching sites have been closed, and I have no choice but to return to the Holy See to ask for the Holy Message. ”

"Oh? What does God say about the old man? I asked, "Or was it the Venerable Jesus?" ”

Matteo Ricci was obviously a little embarrassed, what kind of quality these so-called priests were, they knew better than anyone else, so as soon as my rather disrespectful ridicule came out, he was naturally a little difficult to deal with.

"You're laughing. We prayed prayed every day, and our own angels conveyed the holy voice. Matteo Ricci was an old man after a short period of embarrassment, and immediately found his words: "I follow God's will, and I am here waiting for the man who has been blessed by God who can change all this, so I am waiting for you!" ”

I couldn't help laughing: "Mr. Priest, I respect you, but I don't believe in God!" I'm an atheist, you know? ”

Matteo Ricci immediately looked compassionate: "If a man does not want to be ruled by God, he will bring his own misfortune and be enslaved by tyrants." ”

After saying that, he added: "But I firmly believe that even if you have been lost before, you will be thrown into the arms of the Lord. ”

I shook my head helplessly: "I didn't believe it before, I don't believe it now, and I won't believe it in the future, but it doesn't prevent us from communicating, right?" ”

Matteo Ricci immediately laughed and said, "Exactly! The wise man receives knowledge, and the wise ear seeks knowledge. I share your opinion. ”

"So, let's talk about the entanglement you are talking about first—I suppose that there are Spaniards in front of me who are secretly intercepting me?" I sipped my tea, my tone flat.

Matteo Ricci obviously didn't expect me to have a foresight: "How do you know? We've just gotten the news...... I mean, our channels have always been the fastest, and there's no reason to reach your ears while you're still at sea! My God! Is there really a miracle? ”

I sneered, pointed to my head and said, "I don't expect miracles or anything, but I can come up with them with this." ”

Matteo Ricci then said, "In this way, you already have your own plan, but I am too worried. Indeed, the righteous shall arise, even though they stumble seven times. ”

I didn't answer his touted words, but continued to ask: "Why don't you do this—I already know what you think, you can follow me, see how I solve the problem in front of me, and then we will go to the Ming Dynasty together." But ......"

I laughed quite contently: "My situation in the Ming Dynasty may not be better than yours, so maybe you are too optimistic about the matter entrusted to me." ”

Matteo Ricci had an unfathomable face: "Speak the truth and stand forever." I firmly believe in God's direction. ”

Speaking of which, I smiled at him, in fact, for me, it doesn't matter if there is one more Ricci or one less Ricci, but for him, things are definitely different.

It wasn't until later that I learned that this old fool and old god took a fancy to me not only because I was from the Ming Dynasty, but also because of the lofty prestige I had established in Dongying. At the end of the day, I'm still in the middle of his plan.

Seeing that we were chatting hotly, Hua Mei also came to join in the fun, listening to us on the side, looking interested.

Matteo Ricci asked, "Is this the Duchess?" ”

Hua Mei smiled and added, "One of the duchesses." ”

Matteo Ricci laughed and said, "Being strong is the glory of a young man, and Lord Duke is so blessed!" ”

I shook my head and sighed, "Unfortunately, my other wife ran away for some reason, and I have been looking for her traces. ”

Matteo Ricci stopped laughing, sighed after me, and said, "The women of the East are full of wisdom and bravery, and Madame Zun must have her own reasons for doing this. ”

As he spoke, he sighed again: "When I returned to the Holy See at the beginning of the year and passed through the South Seas, I was once in distress. I was rescued by a convoy led by two Oriental women. Although one of them seemed to be sick and had difficulty moving, his wisdom and prestige did not diminish it, and it made me firm in my opinion. ”

When I heard this, I couldn't help but be shocked! was about to open her mouth to ask, but Hua Mei asked anxiously: "What kind of people are they?" Are those two women from Dongying? Where are they now? ”

Matteo Ricci looked at Hua Mei in surprise, looked at me with an anxious face, thought for a while and replied seriously: "It is indeed Dongying people, they are in a group of two boats, there are about a dozen people, and they are all dressed in black. The two women were the leaders of the group, and they were all very shrewd and strong. ”

After speaking, he looked at me suspiciously and said, "What? Does the Duke know these people? ”

I jumped to my feet, grabbed Ricci's arms and asked, "Where have they gone?" Did you know or not? Tell me! ”

Matteo Ricci's arms hurt when I grabbed him, but he still said calmly: "Your Excellency, can I think about it for a while?" ”

I let out two breaths and stared into Matteo Ricci's eyes for a long time before I slowly let go of my hands.

Matteo Ricci moved his arms and muttered, "After they saved me, I asked them where they were, so that one day I could thank them. I remember the woman with impaired mobility saying that we are at home from all over the world, and this time I am going to Kyoto in the east to visit one of the most famous doctors - presumably to seek medical advice for people with reduced mobility. ”

When I heard this, I stood on the spot, tears welling up in my eyes, and I couldn't hold back any longer.

Kite, stupid! If you want to come back to see a doctor, if you want to go anywhere in the world to find a good doctor, you can tell me, I will go with you, why should you suffer alone?

Hearing this, Hua Mei said excitedly: "Qilan! Let's head to Kyoto now! The kite may still be there! ”

I know that Hua Mei has been blaming herself for indirectly causing the injury of the kite, and she really hopes that I can get the kite back, because she doesn't want this to be a hurdle that we can't overcome!

I took a few deep breaths, shook my head, and said, "Now that we have the news, we can follow this direction." But after all, it was half a year ago, so I'm afraid she may not still be there. What's more, Qi Dudu is already terminally ill, I'm afraid he can't afford to wait......"

"Whew!" I exhaled hard and made up my mind: "Go and see Qi Dudu for the last time first, if he is in good condition, or...... After burying him, I immediately set out to look for this silly girl! ”

"Hmm!" Hua Mei nodded heavily and held my hand tightly: "I'll accompany you!" ”

I was about to speak, when suddenly there was a burst of artillery fire on the sea not far to the south! The voice of the lookout sounded overhead: "The vanguard fleet meets the enemy!" Fired! It's making a U-turn to the northwest as planned! ”

It seems that he has encountered a hypothetical enemy! I shook Hua Mei's hand vigorously, glanced at Matteo Ricci, and sneered: "Your Excellency, are you interested in witnessing the victory of justice with me?" ”

Matteo Ricci looked sanctimonious: "The violence of the wicked will be swept away by themselves!" Your Excellency, Please! ”