Xu Guangqi and Li Zhizao were typical representatives of Ming Dynasty officials who advocated active exchanges with the West, trade and mutual assistance in science and technology in the late Ming Dynasty. The relationship between the two and the Catholic Church was also extremely close, and they were both actively baptized and became Catholics.

In terms of position, Xu Guangqi became the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion and the second assistant to the cabinet; although Li Zhizao was not as good as Xu Guangqi's official position, he was also the Minister of Taipu Temple, and actually was in charge of Western gun defense.

What is rare is that during his tenure as a student in Fujian, Li Zhizao added astronomical questions to the provincial examination questions for the first time, which was the first in the history of the imperial examination in China.

If it were not for the demise of the Ming Dynasty, astronomy, geography, technology, etc. would have inevitably appeared in the imperial examinations due to the frequent and close exchanges between the Ming Dynasty and the West, and would eventually lead to the imperial examinations dominated by the eight-legged essays to evolve into a new academic examination in later generations.

To a certain extent, adding astronomical questions to the imperial examination is a reform.

But this reform did not have been criticized, blocked by conservative forces, and even bloodshed incidents.

The fundamental reasons are, such as Li Zhizao and Xu Guangqi, officials and gentry who advocated communication with the West, played a great role, but Emperor Wanli's own attitude towards Western learning is the most critical.

Wanli likes Western things and Western physics very much. Of course, it can also be said that the emperor himself is very interested in overseas gold and silver wealth, so he advocates technical means that can help the empire seek these overseas wealth.

This starting point is actually nothing wrong, even perfect.

Isn’t human progress the result of the desire for wealth?

A large number of officials including Li Zhizao and Xu Guangqi who joined the Catholic Church and actively introduced Western technology and talents were really devout believers of God?

The answer, of course, is not.

The real intention of the Catholic officials in the late Ming Dynasty was probably the true intention of the masters to control the barbarians.

This is a process of mutual benefit. The Catholic Church needs to obtain the right to preach in China through the support of officials such as Li Zhizao and Xu Guangqi. Officials such as Li Zhizao and Xu Guangqi want to bring more technology and more academics to the Ming Dynasty through the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church is just playing a medium role.

Or, it's a skin.

Therefore, there is no need for Eunuch Wei to show his God's "miracles" in front of Xu Guangqi and the others. He just needs to honestly tell these people that Eunuch Wei has truly walked ahead of them in the introduction of Western technology and talents.

"You two must also know that Your Majesty has always been interested in Catholicism. Father Matteo Ricci also gained His Majesty's trust during his lifetime. Therefore, our family hopes that more and more knowledgeable people can be close to the church and can help us improve the strength of the Ming Dynasty through the church."

Xu Guangqi and Li Zhizao did not give a positive answer to the olive branch extended by Eunuch Wei. The reason is that one of the two is waiting for the transfer of the Ministry of Personnel, and the other is Shaoqing of Taipu Temple. It is impossible for them to leave the capital and go south in a short period of time.

Eunuch Wei is not in a hurry, he has patience.

The initial communication was still very pleasant. Xu Guangqi congratulated Eunuch Wei to be canonized by the Pope as the Archbishop of the East.

Li Zhizao tactfully asked Eunuch Wei about this point. Eunuch Wei replied in this way. He said: "Your Majesty said that China is China, and Chinese are Chinese. As long as the Catholic Church promotes benevolence, does not deceive the people, and does not intend to behave badly, then our Ming Dynasty will not prohibit Catholicism."

"We said before that after the New Year, we will take Xiong Sanba to the palace to meet His Majesty. We also hope to bring more priests and bishops into the palace in the future."

Eunuch Wei glanced at Xu and Li with meaningful eyes.

Xu Guangqi and Li Zhizao both understood the deeper meaning from this glance and this sentence. Obviously, everything that Eunuch Wei did was approved by the emperor, and Eunuch Wei also hoped that more officials in the court could support him.

This support has nothing to do with party struggles. Xu Guangqi and Li Zhizao and other officials who joined the Catholic Church have already hated party struggles. Their beliefs and actions are aliens in the eyes of most court officials, so they are essentially the same as eunuch Wei, who is the eunuch.

When the meeting was almost time, a Western priest named Luo Qinan came in and asked His Excellency Pang Maichen to preside over the meeting.

Luo Qiannan is a Belgian, very young, only 26 years old. He came to China with Stearon more than a year ago. He is now arranged by the Jesuits to serve as the deputy envoy of the college in Nantang, the capital, and is mainly responsible for the custody of books and the translation of some documents.

Eunuch Wei immediately invited Xu and Li to attend the meeting together. On the basis of being both Catholics, Eunuch Wei's status as a Bishop in Purple is higher than Xu Guangqi and Li Zhizao.

After coming out, Eunuch Wei saw the white flower baskets that were placed from the gate to the auditorium at a glance. They slammed the spot and saw those inappropriate congratulations on the paper basket again. They looked green.

"Are you going to put another portrait of us?"

Eunuch Wei glanced unhappily and was sweating in a hurry, and went to the auditorium with his hands behind his back.

In the auditorium, the attendees' Western priests and representatives of the Ming Dynasty were all present and sat down on the bench.

"Father Ricci pointed out during his lifetime that the God of the Church had long existed in my Ming Dynasty, because the traditional Chinese heaven and God are essentially no different from the "only true God" mentioned by the church."

After the meeting began, Eunuch Wei emphasized the teachings of Father Ricci during his lifetime and highly praised Father Ricci's efforts to the sinicization of Catholicism.

"However, after Father Ricci went to see God, there was a problem with the route and policy of our Eastern diocese. It was not a small problem, but a big problem, but a big problem that concerns whether our Catholic Church can base itself on the East! Simply put, it is a problem of ideological cognition. What is this problem? It is the question of whether our Catholic Church is surnamed foreign or middle."

Eunuch Wei pointed out that the so-called surname "Western" is to adhere to the Western tradition of the church, and to move the church's various styles in the West directly to the East without seeking truth from facts, regardless of the local conditions. The so-called surname "China" is what Matteo Ricci advocated during his lifetime. The Catholic Church must be completely sinicized when it comes to the East and perfectly matches the Chinese tradition.

"Your Excellency the Pope named me Pang Maichen as the Purple-clothed Archbishop of the Eastern Diocese, hoping that I Pang Maichen can better preside over the Eastern Diocese and better spread the gospel of God to every people in the Eastern Diocese. Then, I will rectify the trouble, ban the bad things, and pass on the good things."

Eunuch Wei emphasized that Matteo Ricci's route of sinicization is correct and must be adhered to forever. However, although Matteo Ricci's route is correct, there is no perfect plan and a system that is beneficial to better communication has not been established from top to bottom.
Chapter completed!